


Adopted

by 13101999



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - High School, Bullying, Drugs and Alcohol Use, Homophobia, M/M, Minor Character Death, Sexual Situations, Swearing, Underage Charecters, Violence, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-05-08 05:48:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 38,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14687766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/13101999/pseuds/13101999
Summary: Steve's life crumbled around him at the news of Doris's death. He was packed up and sent back to the mainland, to land in Jersey, putting Danny in his path.This story has been written whilst listening to the Cosmical Collusion playlist on Spotify. It helps dive into the emotions.





	1. Welcome to the stage, Eddie Williams

Steven McGarrett was sixteen years old, his younger sister Mary was twelve. They had just been shipped off by their father as he had claimed that it  ‘was not safe’ on the island anymore. There was no logical explanation for this abrupt decision made by John. Steve’s mother was killed by some drunk driver a measly two months ago, and now they were being sent away. Steve thought that this would be a time to keep family close, not split them all up. Mary was being sent to Ohio to live with her aunt while Steve was being sent to elsewhere. This split left nothing for Steve to cling on to. No reassurance to comfort him through the nights.

Just before Doris died, she had revealed to Steve that he was adopted. Doris and John were trying for kids, but it just was not happening, so they resorted to adoption. This new detail threw Steve out for a bit, and just as he was recovering Doris went and died on him.

Steve never really had a connection with John but now that Doris was gone John had decided that he doesn’t want Steve anymore and is sending him back to child services.

His life had just been torn apart. Nothing he believed in was real, those who he thought loved him have just thrown him to the curb like trash to be recycled by the system. Steve was picked up by child services before he knew it and found himself on a plane bound for his new ‘family’ in New Jersey.

The transition for Steve was not smooth. Steve often had outbursts which resulted in him being dumped by many families as well as being sent to therapy.

Therapists often told Steve that it was Post-traumatic stress left from the shock of Doris’s departure, but Steve knew deep down that he did not want to be hurt again. He would not let anyone close.  


After many ventures in and out of families, Steve knew he was on his last straw. The Burke family had ignored his past, and for the first time since Hawaii, Steve felt like he was in a real family. They treated him like their flesh and blood, anything that he needed they kindly supplied.  Emily had reminded Steve a lot of Doris. A kindand motherly smile was provided each time Steve entered a room. Unfortunately, Rick couldn’t be more different.

After the first few weeks of constant check-ins with Child services, things began to change in the Burke household.

Rick became violent when things were not working out for him. Steve was his daily dose of stress relief. Things never really progressed further than a few bruises, but Steve knew that this family was his last chance and he was not willing to give that up because of a few bruises. It wasn’t like Steve was happy about his predicament he felt he had no choice because of Emily; he had to protect her.

If Steve was not around, have assumed that Rick’s attention would be focused on Emily, and Steve wasn’t going to let that happen.

In between his beatings, Steve would attend the public school just down the road. Steve took comfort in knowing during the time that he was away from the house that Rick was away from Emily. The lady that Steve had come to respect was a fragile shell of the woman Steve had first met. He knew that she was sick but had the inkling that she did not have permission from Rick to pursue medical help.

Emily was initially from the South and the accent still held. The had fading blonde hair that was always tied back. She dressed in only sweaters and jeans. Steve found it strange at first, but it allowed her to blend into the background. She had begun to lose weight quite rapidly after two months of Steve’s presence in their household. Her hair had lost its vibrancy, and her skin lost any color it had picked up. Steve did his best to care for her under the circumstances, but things were not improving. What could a sixteen-year-old do for her?

One day at school Steve was held back to discuss an essay he had written on the Vietnam war for his American history class. He was an hour late because he had missed the bus that would have ferried him home, Steve knew things were going to be worse than usual when he finally made it to the house. As Steve walked up the garden path, he noticed that Rick’s sorry excuse for a car was already in the driveway. Shit.

Steve walked through the door placing his heavy coat on the coat rack and walked toward the kitchen. He had hoped by now that Emily would be in the kitchen cooking something spectacular since he was late home, meaning that Rick would be in a better mood. The kitchen was empty.  Could Emily not have saved his ass this one time?

Steve walked over to the fridge grabbing out the chicken he had taken out to defrost that morning when he heard a loud thump from another room. Steve dumped the dish containing the chicken on the island bench and dashed from the kitchen to inspect the sound.

Usually, if Emily did not greet Steve at the door after school, she was in the garden preserving he beautiful collection of roses. That is where Steve had expected to find her, the reality of this afternoon was much dimmer. Steve had entered the bedroom at the office at the end of the hall to find Emily strew across the floor near the desk with a puddle of blood forming around her head. Steve froze staring into Emily’s glazed over eyes from the doorway.

Rick stood with his back to the open doorway where Steve stood swearing and cursing about the stain that was going to be left on the carpet. Steve was still frozen not sure about what to do next.

Rick had finally become aware of Steve’s presence and smirked over his shoulder at him.

“Boy you left me waiting, and work was shit today, what did you expect me to do?”

Rick stepped over Emily’s body toward Steve. “I still have an itch to scratch with you boy.”

Rick tried to grab at Steve, but he missed, and Steve captured his wrist pulling at it and managing to elicit a pop from it. Rick let out a grizzly grunt trying to shake Steve’s grip off.

Steve took this moment of desperation to spear tackle Rick from the room and into the hallway. Steve landed on top and began to lay his fists repeatedly into the ghastly excuse of a man. He could fell pops and cracks as he landed punches on the oafs face. Steve’s blood was boiling, and all he could see was red as he began to return all the beatings that this man had dished out over the months. Ricks' face was a menagerie of weeping splits and broken noses. Steve faltered as the man began to no longer respond. He stood from the unconscious and bloody man; he began to approach Emily’s body.

The halo of blood had grown exponentially, but her glazed over gaze had not changed. A tear broke past Steve’s steely exterior as he dropped to his knees beside Emily. Steve scoped her into his arms managing to position Emily’s head into to the side of his neck as he held her close, his body wracked with sobs.

Steve heard a knocking on the front door, but he could not find the will to leave Emily alone with that monster still in the vicinity.

The knocking at the front door became more intense than before. The knocking was quickly replaced by the sound of the door being kicked from its hinges.

The neighbors must have heard the disturbance because police were now filing into the Burke household. They walked through the door with their guns drawn and began to command Steve to put his hands behind his head and step away from Emily.  He tried to refuse but their patience wore thin, and he was roughly removed from the scene.

Steve’s body still had adrenaline coursing through its veins and taking on the police officer seemed like the right thing to do. Idiot. Steve quickly found himself in a set of cuffs having his rights read to him.

He was marched out the front door towards a patrol car. The brisk twilight air bit at his exposed skin, goosebumping his skin. Steve looked at his surroundings wildly noticing that half the neighborhood had come out to see what was going down at the Burke household.

It wasn’t until Steve was sat in the back of the patrol car that he began to calm down. He noticed that his white shirt was now stained red and his skin was caked in the source. His hands ached, but Steve couldn’t see them at the time. He knew from that one time he had punched a wall that his hands had to be pretty busted up.

Steve knew things wouldn’t look good for him. Foster kid with a history of outbursts, two bodies, covered in blood and his hands were busted up. He didn’t have to be Sherlock to know that he was going to be under dangerous speculation. The Rick’s official record was squeaky clean, and Steve’s just wasn’t.

The officer began the drive downtown to the station. Very few words were shared in Steve’s presence throughout the trip. Steve was guided into the station and an office. Steve’s shirt was commandeered as evidence and replace with a New Jersey PD shirt. An officer took a few swabs from his hands and then patched them up.

Steve’s knuckles were swollen and bruised. The skin was split and weeping blood from the wounds. Steve had some broken bone in his hand that should probably be addressed, but no one seemed to bother. His hands were roughly bandaged, and he was left to sit in an office with a cuff linking him to a desk. For the mere minutes, he was left unattended; Steve began to take in his surroundings. On the desk, in front of him, there were a few photo frames that he assumed were of friends and family.  On the floor to the right of the desk, there was a box of toys containing little fire trucks and building blocks. Steve built the assumption that the owner of the office had young children.

The door swung open to reveal a middle-aged man holding a manila folder.

Without an Introduction the officer dove straight into the interrogation.

“Steve, do you wish to obtain an attorney?” Steve shook his head indicating the negative. “ I will let you know that your case manager is on her way but due to the severity of this investigation we have been granted permission to begin the investigation.” Steve sat stoically staring down the man who had just sat behind the desk.

“Steve you are currently under arrest for the assault of Rick Burke and the murder of Emily Burke. You must understand that these charges are incredibly serious and being dishonest with me is not going to help your case.” Steve sat there in shock dropping his gaze to his bandaged hands.

Steve was shocked by the fact that the police thought he had done that to Emily and the fact that Rick was still alive.

The officer continued:

“Steve, Mr. Burke has been rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery to relieve the swelling on his brain. From the looks of those bandages, we can identify you as the culprit for that crime. We currently do not have any evidence to exonerate you from the charges involving Emily Burke. I need you to tell me what happened.”

Steve thought very carefully about what he was about to say. Steve sat there watching the officer. He didn’t want to trust this man. Steve had identified the officer to be a detective, and he reminded Steve of John.

“Son, your silence is not helping your case, if you don’t help he I can’t help you.”

Steve began his story from the moment he left the school grounds. Steve did not make any mention of the months beforehand that contained the abuse he had suffered at the hands of Rick.

“So, you're telling me that the generous Rick Bourke who took you into his home despite your record attacked Emily in a fit of rage and you only beat him half to death in self-defense?”

 “I didn’t hurt Emily; I never laid a hand on her,” Steve said trying to convince the officer of his case.

“Even if we gather evidence to support your story, who would Rick do something like this? He has no record of violence; he regularly donates to the local soccer club, you want us to believe that he is capable of something like this.”

Steve shook his head. “What is the point? You aren’t going to believe me anyway. You may as well throw me in a cell and be done with it.”

The detective stood from his seat to lean against the desk in front of Steve. At that moment Steve shifted in a way that caused his shirt to move a reveal some of the faded bruises that were scattered across his chest.

“Steve, where did you get these bruises?”

Steve sat silent, almost embarrassed to answer. Steve had built the mentality that the truth was going to ruin him. Could things get any worse than being accused of murdering Emily?

The truth was bubbling inside Steve. With his eyes cast down upon his bandages, Steve began to divulge the story to the officer who revealed himself as Eddie Williams. He explained how Rick would get angry and to keep him from taking it out on Emily Steve would take the beatings.

 “Steve why didn’t you speak up, we could’ve helped you. None of this would’ve happened.”

“You don’t understand it would never have stopped; he would’ve just found someone else.”  
Steve could see that Eddie was lost in deep thought.

“Steve I’m going to help you, but you’re going to have to tell people the truth, the truth about Rick Burke.”

Steve froze, everybody would think that he was some pathetic child who couldn’t even protect himself.

“No one is going to believe me; they’ll think I’m lying to keep myself out of jail, playing the victim to get sympathy.”

Eddie put his finger under Steve’s chin raising his eyeline to his own.

“I believe you.”

**SIX MONTHS LATER**

Steve was not charged due to the circumstances of the case. The assault charge that was withheld pending the result of the result of the State Vs. Burke. The case of Emily’s murder was still set to go through court when Rick had recovered from surgery. If Rick were found not guilty, the charges would stick to Steve, due to this fact, there had to wear a tracking cuff so that his whereabouts were always known.

Fortunately, Steve’s case manager had managed to get Steve into a teen share house for teens who had suffered abuse. Steve knew he wouldn’t be going to another family anytime soon, not while the case was still active. The home was in a similar place in New Jersey to where the Burkes live which meant that he didn’t have to start afresh at a new school.

On the downside, everybody knew about what had gone down in the Burke house. Each had developed their own opinion on the situation and speculated that Steve was some psycho thug who had attacked with intent. Steve’s face had been plastered into the news for a full week where guest panels debated upon what they believed the truth was.

The school was difficult.  The sharehouse leader Michelle had taken upon herself to drive Steve to school on his first day back. Michelle had dropped him a block from the school gate as traffic was intense and she was late for work. The compromise allowed Steve to put in his persona that would stop nosey kids from asking a question or even talking to him.

 Steve wore ripped black jeans which had chains hanging off his belt hoping that the ‘bad ass’ look would offer itself as a deterrent to the other kid. If all else failed, he had scars on his hands from where he beat Rick that he could use to scare the real assholes away.

Apart from a fearmonger, the scars were a constant reminder of the one time he failed to protect someone. Had a constant reminder of what he had done.  
He thought about it as he walked through the gate of the high school, just as he suspected every single person stopped and stared. He just kept walking with his head held high ignoring them all. He could see them whispering to one another, but at least none of them were trying to talk directly to him.

He walked into the office and collected his schedule. As he had missed so much school, he was pretty much being treated as a new student. He was kept down a year as his attendance did not allow him to pass on to the next year level. This meant that he didn’t know anyone in his year level anymore. To make things better, the administration staff thought he was guilty they had cleared his locker and given it away meaning that he had also to go and collect new textbooks as well. All they could do was hand him his new locker info with a scarce apology.

He took off to the west block where his new locker was located. He was putting his stuff away when he was shoved forward. He turned around; there was a group of guys standing around him.

“So, how’d you get the scars, huh oh yeah you killed a man, didn’t you!” Steve just turned his back and grabbed his books. He closed his locker and went to walk off.

“Oi, where do you think you’re going…. Murderer!” Steve just kept on walking, thankfully the bell went, and Steve just walked on to class.

He walked into the classroom and passed the teacher his slip which he had to sign.

The teacher pointed to a desk up the back on the left. He was the first one to class, so he sat down and opened his sketchbook and started drawing. He ignored the kids as they came into the class; he just kept his head down. When the teacher started talking he closed his sketchbook and did his work. Less attention he drew the better.

Some chirpy blonde boy was sitting on his right, and he looked like he was struggling.  
Steve felt obliged to help the fellow ripped jean wearer a hand. “Hey, you need some help?” Steve asked.

The boy turned his head and grunted. He then turned back and gave Steve another look. “Hey you’re that kid, Steve, right?”

“Yeah Steve, and you are?”

“Oh yeah I’m Daniel, but you can call me Danny.” Danny stuck his hand out. Steve hesitated, but he shook Danny’s hand. Danny looked at his hand but didn’t comment. Steve looked over at his books it said, Williams. His mind instantly went to Eddie, the man who saved him from prison.

“Are you any relation to Eddie?” Danny furrowed his brow.

“Yeah, dad said I should seek you out at school today. He hasn’t stopped talking about you for the last six months.”

That statement kind of pissed Steve off.

“Since you have fulfilled your father’s commands don’t feel obligated to continue this conversation.”

Steve knew he was irrational. If therapy had taught him anything, he knew his anger was getting the better of him.

“I would like to point out that you started this conversation.”                                       

The bell went, and Steve made a run for it, but he wasn’t quick enough Danny was right next to him. Danny had his sketchbook in his hands open to what he was drawing before class; he went to snatch the book away. But Danny was quick.

“Give it back!” Danny immediately stopped and closed his book. Danny handed the book back.” Thank-you!” Steve snatched it and walked off before the anger that was bubbling inside him could erupt. Steve hadn’t realized the page is missing, he had to get away from the blonde as fast as possible.

Danny looked down at the picture in his hand; Steve had been sketching him. It was incomplete, but it looked just like a picture, he had to admit that Steve was talented. At the bottom was scribble ‘hot blonde in chem class.’

Danny just looked up and smiled and walked to his locker.

 


	2. This Is The Hellscape

Steve sat in the hallway eating his lunch; he did not want to deal with everyone's lingering gazes. Many still believed that he was a murderer who abused the family that had taken him in.

He sat there on the cold vinyl floor devouring his PB and J sandwich as a smattering of students walked past. As they wandered by he heard them whispering quite loudly. Many of them often debated why he wasn’t in prison. Steve knew that entirety of his story had leaked to the media, but the story that was reported was not necessarily his truth.

As Steve sat there, he pulled his sketchbook from his backpack. Drawing had become a release for Steve. His imagination spewed out onto the paper for his eyes only. Nobody was present in these moments to judge him.

Steve flicked through the book searching for the next blank page to use as his canvas. Then there it was. The stub that ran down the spine revealing that a page had been ripped out. Steve never ripped pages out as no matter what he came up with it was representative of how he felt now.

Steve thought to the boy who had Steve’s sketchbook early that day. Danny fucking Williams. Steve through the remainder of his lunch at the adjacent wall and stuffed his sketchbook back into his bag.

 He threw his sandwich at the wall and stood up; he put his sketchbook back in his bag.

Steve burst through the doors of the canteen with a loud bang. The doors bounced off the walls drawing the attention of the entirety of the present student body.

Steve heard students muttering “the freak is finally losing it.” Steve ignored them as he searched the room for the theiving blonde.

There he was, sat amongst the baseball jocks. He began his approach when one of the players mouthed off.

“Hey, murderer. Are you scoping out your next victim? Oh oh, Danny better watch out, he is looking at you.”

Danny had managed to be the only person in the expansive hall that had not turned around to stare at him.

Danny turned his gaze to Steve with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

The comment did not falter Steve’s approach. Danny went to greet Steve, but Steve responded by grabbing Danny by his collar and dragging him from the canteen. There was no retaliation from what once the cocky jocks were. Steve saw the fear in their eyes as he pulled Danny away from the table.

Steve didn’t understand how he had managed to get Danny all the way out of the room with no response. Steve threw Danny against an exterior wall.

“Where is it?” Steve shouted while getting all up in Danny’s grill. Danny did not seem to be intimidated and smirked back. By this point, a crowd had managed to unstick themselves from their seats and form around the two teens.

Steve shoved Danny even harder into the wall, and the smirk finally fell on Danny’s face. As Steve’s anger grew he pulled back his fist to lay one on Danny’s terrified face.

Steve was not a naturally violent person but today had been eating away at his restraint.

As he was about to lay one on the formally smug face of Eddie’s son a tight grip appeared around his wrist. He tried to shrug the hands from his body, but before he knew it, he was torn away from Danny.

The mystery voice screamed for the other kids to get to class as the owner drug Steve through the parting crowd. Steve didn’t want to fight, what the fuck was he thinking?

 Steve was released from the grip away from the crowd. The mystery person revealed themselves to be Steve’s Chemistry teacher.

“Steve calm down. If you don’t get your head screwed on you aren’t going to last very long here.” Steve’s gaze dropped to the concrete below his feet. He was slightly embarrassed by the way that he had lost his temper.

“Now are you going to explain to what the hell that whole kafuffle was about?”

Steve knew that he was going to have to make up for what had just happened.

“He took something that didn’t belong to him.”  Steve refused to look up from the ground because he felt too pathetic to hold the gaze of the teacher.  
“So Mr. Williams has stolen something of yours?” Steve nodded in the affirmative.  “That does not give you the right to manhandle him and create a scene as you did. Now, if you tell me what it is, we can get it back to you under the premise that you don’t let this behavior repeat. Do we have an understanding?”

Steve couldn’t find the words to tell Mr. Buckley what it was that Danny had taken. If Steve revealed that it was drawing of the boy, he had just nearly assaulted he knew his secret would be released. Yes, Steve liked boys over girls and Danny had robbed him of the ability to keep that to himself. Nobody was supposed to see the contents of his sketchbook. Steve resorted to the only attitude that would allow him to keep his secret.  
“It doesn’t matter, just suspended me and got all this shit over with.” Steve knew the cold approach would allow him to break away from the situation. At least it usually did.

“Steve I’m going to have a chat with Mr. Williams, while I do that you are to report to the principal and explain your actions to him. If you refuse to talk to me, then I can’t help you.”

Steve picked his gaze up off the ground and set them on the Blonde that was approaching from behind Mr. Buckley.

Danny walked up to him with an outstretched hand toward Steve. Mr. Buckley tensed in preparation to block Danny’s attack. Danny’s grasp revealed to contain a piece of folded paper.

“No hard feelings?” The blonde’s face was plastered with a cocky smirk.

Steve took the piece of paper from Danny’s hand and tore it into pieces. Steve threw it in Danny’s face.

“Fuck you.” Was the only reply Danny got before Steve took off in the direction of the entrance.

He heard Mr.Buckley shouting for him to stop, but that wasn’t going to stop Steve.

 Danny stood there with a dazed look on his face as the other teen disappeared out the front gates.

Steve walked along the street with his backpack slung over one shoulder. He was so stupid. This was the second time Steve had damaged his chances of survival in this world. He wasn’t entirely sure where he was going. He didn't want to return to the home, and there was nowhere else that he had to go. Walking along the streets allowed Steve to think about how the situation was able to build in such a way. If Steve hadn’t left his sketchbook behind this wouldn’t have happened. But why did it have to be Danny who had taken the page? Steve felt a connection to that boy like he did with no other human in that school. They had barely spoken, but Steve felt that Danny was different from the other rumourmongers.

 After an unreasonable about of time, Steve found himself standing on the shores that New Jersey called a beach.

Once upon a time, Steve called the coast of Hawaii his home. Where he stood at this moment couldn’t resemble Hawaii any less. It was cold, dim and empty. He took a seat in the sand and watched the dismal waves land on the sand. It hypnotized him into a state of peace.

  
A couple walked past holding hands; he envied them. He could never be open like that. The world that Steve had grown up in would never accept who Steve was. It’s not like Steve chose to be gay it’s just who he was. John was openly verbal about his disgust for homosexuals. As a police officer who was meant to protect the people, John often held many damaging perspectives on the world. Steve knew a large percentage of the world held a similar view of the world. Maybe it would be different in the future.

Steve was caught unaware by the footsteps that approached him. A jingle of a police utility belt brought Steve back to reality. Though Steve didn’t look over his shoulder he kind of figured who it would be.

Eddie took a seat beside Steve in the sand.

  
“Steve what happened to stay out of trouble. On your the first day, back at school and you’re already in trouble for getting into a fight with a detective’s kid. Very smooth kid.” Steve turned red.

He tried to apologize for what he had done to Eddie’s son, but he was cut off.

  
“Don’t worry about it Steve, knowing my smartass son; he probably deserved it. Don’t get me wrong as an officer of the law I have to remind you that it is against the laws for you to leave the school grounds like that about the deal that your case manager made on your behalf. As the father of the son that you had against the wall I don’t blame you. ” Eddie stood from the sand and stretched his hand out to Steve offering the teen a hand up from the sand.

Steve refused to take and picked himself up from the sand. Eddie started off in the direction of his patrol car, and Steve followed.   
“I don’t want to go home,” Steve whispered.

When they were situated in the vehicle, Eddie continued the conversation.  
“Steve that house is your last chance. You must play by the rules and stop getting yourself in trouble. The state won’t support you if you continue to pull stunts like this.” Steve knew what the Detective in the driver's seat was saying was true.  
  


 


	3. Hello Joe White

Eddie dropped Steve at home and followed him inside to talk to Michelle. Steve avoided that conversation by stalking off into his room. Steve threw his bag into space under his desk before he slid down against his door. Steve buried his face in his hands taking a breath deep into his lungs.

After a time, Steve got up and grabbed his guitar from its stand. He sat on his bed strumming away, not playing anything in particular.

Steve had learned to play the guitar from one of his Johns friends back in Hawaii. Doris uses to adore it when she heard Steve play. A tear escaped down Steve’s cheek. He missed Doris; he lost his old life.

There was a knock at Steve’s door. “One sec,” Steve called. The door opened to reveal Eddie standing there behind Michelle.

“Steve we would like to talk to you about what happened today. Neither of us wants to see the system fails you, but we can’t agree with what took place at school today. You can’t hide behind your story forever, and Eddie and I think we might have an option for you.” Steve sat back down on his bed, and Eddie took up a position leaning against Steve’s desk on the far wall. Eddie was the next to speak up.

“Anger is a dangerous emotion, Steve. A small amount of it healthy and can help us survive, but that is only if we can control it. I have a friend near here who works with youth on the street to channel their anger. He owns a boxing gym, and I feel like this is a good option for you. Don’t get me wrong if I catch you fighting outside of that gym I will report you, but Joe has saved many young lives in that gym. What do you think about giving it a go?”

Steve took a minute thinking it over. He then nodded in agreement with Eddie.” I guess I don’t have a lot of options do I.”

“Okay, so after Dinner tonight Eddie said he’ll take you over and make the introductions. After school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you’ll have your lessons. That does not mean that you escape your chores, they’ll still be here waiting for you.”

Eddie made a call to his wife saying that he’d be home later, and by the sounds of it he only had to drop Steve’s name, and she understood how important it was to Eddie.

After dinner, Steve changed into his school-issued gym uniform as he didn’t have anything else and met John at the front door. A few of the other teens in the home tried to kick up a stink about Steve not doing the dishes, Michelle shut them down quickly.

Steve and Eddie allowed the radio to fill the silence between them during the short drive to the gym. Eddie pulled up in a small carpark and got out and began toward an illuminated door.

What Steve saw when he walked in was not what he expected. The outside was run down, the paint was peeling, and the bricks had been tagged. The inside was a gym nuts utopia. Exercise machines lined the wall, from the roof hung sparring bags, and fastballs and the middle of the room was taken up by an MMA octagon.

 Steve got caught off guard by the middle-aged balding man who approached seamlessly from nowhere

The man introduced himself as Joe White while shaking Steve’s hand with a very firm handshake.

After the introductions were done, Joe began to talk Steve through what they did at the gym. Joe brought forward how the teens that he worked with were banned from fighting outside the gym. Joe said that if Steve was caught to be fighting outside of the gym walls he would be dropped from the program and the gym would no longer support him.

Joe gifted Steve with some workout kit including a set of gloves and a gym bag. Once the talking was done, Joe got into introducing Steve to the gym environment via a workout session.  Once they were done, Steve was exhausted but he hadn’t felt so good in a while.

He shook Joe’s once again and thanked him for the opportunity he currently had.

 He headed outside and back to the car with Eddie, this time the radio was shut off, and the silence was heavy in the air. Steve was happy and was fiddling with his gym gear. Though they only had a short distance, Steve felt the car pull off the road and looked up realizing they were not at home. Eddie turned in his seat to look at Steve.

“Steve when Michelle and I walked into your room you had been crying, and I want you to know that there is nothing that you can’t talk to me about.” Steve knew Eddie was utterly wrong because there was at least one thing he couldn’t talk to Eddie about, that being his attraction to his son.

“I believe that is why I have to see a shrink,” Steve jabbed back. Eddie let out a deep breath of slight frustration.

 “Yes, Steve you have a shrink but there are people out there who care about you, and I’m not sure that you can see it. People get so wrapped up in their minds that they can’t see those who genuinely care. I know a school is a terrible place now, and they are all caught up in the media mayhem. Know that Danny is true of heart, and sometimes he does stupid things, like every human, but he is a good boy. I called home while you were working with Joe and Danny kept asking me to apologize for you. Please keep in mind that you now have a two William’s protecting your flank.” With that, Eddie pulled back onto the road.

I was visible to Steve that Eddie did not want Steve to lose himself and school was Steve’s most significant issue at the moment.

When Steve got home, Michelle was sat in the lounge room and waved toSteve as he ran up the stairs with his bag slung over his shoulder. As he got to the top of the stairs, he realized that his usually closed bedroom door was wide open and the light was on.

He walked into the room apprehensively. He found George the other house leader sat on his bed. He hadn’t had a lot to do with George over his time in the home, but he had heard whispers from the other teens. Though none of them had ever spoken directly with Steve out of fear, he had heard that George liked to be alpha though not many of the residents. George wasn't a violent man from what Steve had seen. Steve wanted to shove George from his room and jam his desk chair up against the door. He then wanted to huddle down in the corner because every time he closed his eyes memories flashed through his mind. It terrified him that George could be like Rick.

“Steve close the door.” Steve knew that was against policy and it made his heart jump in his chest.  Steve closed the door behind him as he placed his bag by the end of is bed. George stood from his seated position; Steve did his best not to flinch. George approached Steve and got up in his face though Steve stood slightly taller than the man.

“Boy, we haven’t had a lot to do with each other yet, but you need to know that I am the man of this house and any ‘cred’ you think you might have is worth absolute shit here. You may have others wrapped around your finger believing this tale that you have spun, but I know that nobody ever laid a hand on you, you are not a victim if you push me I will show you what a real victim looks like.”

Steve refused to flinch in the face of this man.  Steve gave no response, and George was apparently satisfied with his performance he opened the door, and before he looked back at Steve and gave him a nod, then he was gone.

All the hope that had built up in Steve’s body had just been stolen from his being. After a quick shower, Steve crawled into bed trying not to think about everything.

Tomorrow he had to face school again, and as if that wasn’t enough for the sixteen-year-old, he now had to worry about the new Rick in his life.

 


	4. History Seems to Repeat

Just days later Steve and George somehow had managed to be the only ones in the house. This was against policy to happen, but something had come up for everyone at the one time by some stroke of bad luck. Steve was meant to be off to school within the next five minutes or else he was going to be late.

Steve and George had a few silent run-ins when Steve arrived home from the gym throughout the week. When Steve came back, the other kids adored what he had been doing, and it encouraged the kids to get close to Steve and know his story. Steve could see that George hated the fact that Steve was becoming popular and in those moments of fanfare the teens tended to ignore George’s presence. The man was forty-one Steve didn’t know what George expected.

Steve opened his door just a fraction, enough for him to peer outside. The coast was clear; he grabbed his bag and began to make a run for it. He reached the door; he had his hand on the handle when he heard a bellow from behind him.

“Where the fuck does you think you’re going, kid. You think you can ignore my warning like that and get away with it?” Steve turned around, to see George edging his way toward him. Steve had an idea of what was about to happen, so he made a break for it. He reefed the door open and ran down the footpath. But George was fast. George reached out only just grasping the strap on Steve’s bag pulling him backward.

Steve lost his balance and landed on his ass. “Get on your fucking feet boy, you’re the one who has been going to the gym, put your mitts up.”

George grabbed Steve’s hair and yanked him upwards. Steve tried to escape the pain by following his hand. George released him. So, Steve tried his luck again. He pulled the bag off his shoulders and threw it towards George. Steve ran, but fate was still not on his side. He tripped on an uneven brick. He didn’t get the chance to put his hands out to break his fall. Instead his face collided with the ground. Everything went black for Steve.

Steve was out cold. George grabbed his arm and dragged him inside away from prying eyes.

 

DPOV

Since Monday Danny and Steve had not said a thing to each other. When Eddie got home on Monday night, Danny received absolute spraying about what had occurred during the day. To say Danny felt like an asshole was an understatement.

Danny stood at the school’s front gate waiting for Steve hoping that they could start over.

Danny knew what Steve had drawn in his book was private. When Danny saw the sketch of himself, his heart fluttered in his chest as he realized that the boy that half the school was terrified of and the other half lusted for was attracted to guys. Danny wanted to jump for joy and wanted to have evidence when Danny confronted the guy. First, he needed to apologize.

He knew Steve was having a hard time and Danny had been a complete tool. Not everyone was comfortable with their sexuality as Danny was. Though Danny was internally at peace with himself, his family were the only people external to himself that knew. Danny thought that he and Steve could help each other out, therefore, survive high school.

 So, as a peace offering, Danny had bought him a new sketchbook, pencils, something that Danny hoped Steve would appreciate. In a photo frame, Danny had rearranged the sketch that Steve had torn up.

Danny had spent the better part of the night putting that picture back together, but he cockily thought Steve would appreciate it.

The bell had gone about half an hour ago, and Steve was still nowhere to be seen. Danny knew he had not missed Steve he had been standing here since the first student. Danny took his phone from his pocket dialling his father's number. That man had access to Steve’s location 24/7.

The phone rang a few times before Eddie picked up.

 “Danny, what do you want? I’m swamped, and you are meant to be in class.”

Danny knew that his father couldn’t give him Steve’s precise location, so he would have to come up with some lie.

“Dad, Steve isn’t at school, so I’m going to drop by his place after school and drop some work off, can you text me his address?”

“Uh, yeah I’ll test it to you, I’m so glad that you boys are getting along.”

The conversation quickly came to an end and a text message notification popped up.

Danny ran to his car and jumped in. He couldn’t shake the feeling that had settled into the pit of his stomach. Danny knew something wasn’t right.

Danny arrived at the address Eddie had given him. The house was reasonably large, but that wasn’t surprising since multiple teens resided here.

Danny climbed out of his car and began up the path to the front door. Somebody could tell him where Steve was.

As Danny avoided tripping on a brick, he noticed blood on the pavement, besides it was a necklace that he had seen Steve wear.

As Danny took in the scene around him when a loud crash from inside the house. Danny sprinted for the door and began pounding on the door as it was locked. The door opened, and a middle-aged man gazed down upon Danny.

Danny noticed that the man's knuckles were red and bleeding.

 “What do you want kid? I’m very busy.”

“I was looking for Steve he left something in dad’s car last on Monday.” Anger grew on George’s face.

“Just leave it on the doorstep he’ll get it when he gets home.” With that, the man tried to close the door. Danny jammed his foot out to stop the door from closing, and that caused the man's anger to flare.

Danny had no plan on what he was to do next, and this man was apparently up to no good. Danny saw the man begin to reach toward Danny and at this moment his dad was his savior. Danny turned around to see a patrol car at the curb, and Eddie was stepping out of it.

George froze at this sight, but then George lashed out, grabbing Danny around the throat putting him in a headlock. Danny wasn’t weak, but still, he couldn’t get loose.

Danny heard his dad yelling, but Danny’s vision was getting darker, spots were starting to appear. Just as everything went dark for Danny, he heard a loud crash.

SPOV

Steve couldn’t move everything felt like it was on fire. He couldn’t overpower George and took advantage of him laying his fists into Steve’s body.

There was a knock at the door, causing George to pull back, giving Steve a break finally. A familiar voice was talking to George at the front door; Steve was racking his memories trying to figure out who it was.

It then clicked, it was Danny, Danny was in danger. Another voice joined the yelling. It was Eddie; he was yelling at George to let Danny go.

Steve had to help Danny, Danny was not going to become a victim.

Steve got to his knees, but then a wave of nausea hit. Steve fought to hold it back and struggled to get to his feet.

Steve stumbled towards the door using the walls to keep him upright. When Steve saw George holding Danny in a headlock, the adrenaline kicked in Steve made a run at George.

He sprung through the air tackling George to the ground forcing him to release Danny, Steve let one cracking punch go, hitting George in the jaw. George was dazed but not unconscious.

Steve wasn’t quick enough to deliver the next hit.

 Before Steve could bring his fist down George had pulled a knife. Steve felt a piercing pain in his chest. The pain took Steve’s breath away.

Steve fell backward holding his hands to the wound. Seconds later Steve heard a gun crack and George dropped lifelessly to the ground.

EPOV

Eddie stood at the gate with his gun still drawn. Eddie drew his radio to his mouth calling for ambulances and back up.  
Eddie sprinted forward checking Danny first. Danny was conscious but in shock.

Adam rolled him onto his side, and moved to Steve, Eddie assessed the wound after first noticing that he was conscious and gasping for breath.

The wound itself sat high on Steve’s chest, close to his shoulder. Eddie pushed his hands-on top of Steve’s hand reinforcing the pressure being applied to the wound, staunching the blood flow.

Very quickly the scene became havoc, sirens and lights surrounded the property. Also, the neighbors had come out to see what the commotion was. Of course, the noisy hags came now but not when anyone needed them.

The boys were surrounded by medical professionals; they were then whisked away in ambulances.

As for George Petrov, he was carted away cuffed to the stretcher, the bullet that Eddie had sent his way only grazed his arm. It was just a flesh wound, and George was making a massive fuss about it. Before George was taken from the scene, the media had arrived and caught all the garbage the man was spewing.

Eddie was thinking of all the phone calls he was going to have to make, but first, he had to see to Danny.


	5. Surviving a Murderer?

Eddie sat in one of those hard plastic chairs beside Danny’s hospital bed. Danny’s esophagus was severely bruised, and he was to be kept under observation for the night, but the doctors said he should be fine if Danny refrained from talking for a few days, Eddie thought that that was kind of ironic.

As Danny lay there in a drug-induced sleep, allowing Eddie’s mind to rest on Steve’s fate. He was in surgery for a few hours repairing the damage to his shoulder. Eddie had also heard whispers of possible internal bleeding as Steve was bundled up and rushed toward the emergency room, so as far as Eddie knew Steve was currently situated in ICU, but Eddie was not on paper as a guardian, so he couldn’t visit him or know very much about Steve’s condition. Steve would not have any visitors as Michelle was caught up in the investigation and rehousing of the teens at them home.

 Due to the incident that occurred today the State believed that it was best to disband that particular home and separate all the teens that called it home. Eddie couldn’t see how that was the best option that the State could come up with. This was a time where the teen's needed families, and the State was taking the only one that they had left. Michelle was going to lose her job, as she was in charge of the household and allowed George to act in such a way.

All Eddie could do was sit and wait. Eddies mind weighed heavily on the fact that Steve had no family, he had nowhere to go. Steve would probably end up being shipped away like all the other teens from home. This poor kid had been through way too much he was only 16. 

Eddie was roused from his thoughts by jault that ran through his son's body. Danny became restless, and Eddie hit the call button.

“Danny, calm down. You are safe, and in hospital, I’ve got you, son.” Danny’s body visibly relaxed at his father’s voice.

Danny’s eyes finally opened revealing tears fighting to be released.

“Dad?” At the strain of trying to talk Danny was overcome by a fit of coughs paired with a cringe of pain.

“Danny, try not to talk you need to rest. I’m gonna see where the nurse is at she should’ve been here by now.” With that, Eddie stood from his seat to poke his head out of the door. It was 3am, so it was only the skeleton crew of medical professionals in the ward. He couldn’t see a nurse at the desk, so Eddie assumed they were busy, Danny wasn’t a high priority at the moment as Eddie wasn’t too worried. The nurses would come when they had the chance.

Eddie took his seat back beside Danny. From the pocket of his uniform, Eddie fished out a notepad and pen to help Danny communicate.

Danny lept at the chance for communication and automatically scribbled down the word ‘STEVE?’.

“Danny Steve was really badly injured and had to have surgery so at the moment he is in the ICU resting. I’m not a guardian, so I don’t know very much.”

Danny’s next question revolved yet again about Steve. ‘Is he going to be alright?’

“Danny I don’t know I’ll try to find more out in the morning, but for now you need to focus on you. Why were you at the house, Danny?”

Danny’s forehead began to crinkle as he realized that he had to write his whole explanation, it was frustrating him not being able to talk.

‘I was trying to apologize for the other day. Everyone treats him like shit, and I wanted to be a friend to him, be able to protect him from the worst of it. Plus I have a bit of a thing for damaged boys. Back to the story, I was waiting for him at the front gate, but he didn’t show, I knew something wasn’t right.’ Danny smiled back at his father as Eddie finished reading the note.

Danny stole the notepad back from his father to scribble down his next message. ‘don’t you dare judge me, old man. You know you can’t choose who is in your life like that.’

The mood in the room changed from joking and jovial to serious as Eddie thought about his reply.

“Danny I want you to know that I am here for you, no matter what and who you love.  I’m sorry if I have ever said otherwise or expressed that you being gay bothered me. I’m so very proud of you. What you did yesterday was selfless, but utterly stupid. Next time you get this feeling tell me and I’ll be there. Do we have an understanding.” Danny let out a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding in and sat up on his bed to embrace his father.

It was at this moment that the nurse decided to make an appearance. She checked Danny over giving Eddie a sympathetic smile. Soon after the nurse had left the room, she was back with a better chair that would recline and allow Eddie to get some sleep. Eddie gave her a polite smile and graciously took a seat.

The rest of the night was quiet as the two men slept.

Late into the next morning, after Eddie had left for work, Danny had visitors. The baseball team filtered into his hospital room. It surprised to see them all there.

Greetings and well wishes filled the room until one particular comment was made.

“So you survived the murderer huh?”

That made Danny uncontrollably angry. The situation was escalated by Danny’s diminished ability to speak so in this case actions were going to speak louder than his words. Danny pressed the call button as he piffed the notepad across the room hitting the boy directly in the chest. The boy definitely didn’t get the hint as he began to open his mouth. Luckily for this boy, the nurse saved his ass because Danny was about to climb out of his bed and give him an ass whooping.

The nurse sent the entire team packing.

Danny’s anger still bubbled at the surface, so when the nurse handed him his notepad back, Danny only had one request. ‘ Steve McGarrett.’

“He is going to be alright, I can’t tell you any details, but he will make a full recovery.” Danny smiled at that information. Steve was going to be okay, physically.

Later on in the day, Danny’s mother made an appearance dropping off a bag of clothes for when Danny was discharged. She couldn’t stay too long as Danny’s younger sister had some performance at school today. All Danny had to do was waste time till his Dad could pick him up later that afternoon.

 

Danny had his fill of daytime TV by the time Eddie arrived.

Eddie walked in with a bundle of papers under his arms.

“Danny I’m gonna go talk to the nurses, then we are going to go see Steve okay?”

Danny was confused because they weren’t family, he assumed his father had worked it out.

Danny was dressed and ready to go, to be honest, he was rather excited to see Steve, but he didn’t want to expect when he goes into that room. Eddie walked into a nurse at his side.

“C’mon son, let's go see Steve.”


	6. A Soppy Hospital Room

Steve was woken by the sounds of machines beeping and whirring. He tried to open his eyes, but he was assaulted by the brightness of the room. Steve slammed his eyes shut to escape the shooting pain in his skull. Steve tried to remember what had happened but all he could remember was hearing Danny’s voice and pain.

‘Oh no it’s happened again!’ Steve thought to himself, he began to panic. He had to find Danny.

He didn’t want Danny to have to experience any of this. Having everything held dear torn up and everything you cherish squashed. Steve never felt clean after something like this occurs, and everyone always seemed to find out about it, Steve hated being thought of as weak.

Danny, the feisty blonde, had worked his way into his heart, and Steve was silently hoping that he would stay there. Steve had to save Danny, stop him from being damaged.  
Steve figured he wasn’t at home; this was different from all the other times he had woken up in a puddle of his own blood. The noise made Steve think of a hospital. The sound continued to echo in Steve’s skull he wanted to get away from it. Steve went to roll over, but pain shot through his chest and arm. Steve let out a strangled groan.  
“Steve! Steve stay still I’m going to grab a nurse, I’ll be right back.” Steve felt a pressure release his hand, he then recognized the voice. It was Danny, it sounded like he was okay.

Steve stilled on his back taking deep breathes fighting back the pain. He had learned a while ago how to push pain back. The pain was just a state of mind; he just had to switch his focus to something else.

Steve heard footsteps approaching the door. He wanted to see Danny and make sure he was indeed okay. Steve recognized that the room was still going to be bright, but it was going to be worth it. As Steve’s eyes came into focus Danny walked through the door bringing a smile to Steve’s face. At least he walked in of his own accord the that brought a smile to his face.

The smile quickly drained away as Steve focused on the collection of bruises around Danny’s neck.

This was his fault, Steve had caused this. Steve never could protect anyone, they always got hurt. Tears began to trickle down Steve’s cheeks, and a sob grew heavy in his chest. A weight clasped Steve’s hand.

“Steve are you in pain?” Danny asked from Steve’s beside.

“Danny just leaves while you still can, I’m not safe to be around.” Steve tried to pull his hand away, but Danny held on tight.

“I don’t want to leave you, Steve, I don’t think I can.”

Steve opened his eyes and locked gazes with Danny. Something shifted inside him, and calmness spread over his body. Steve felt the same. Eddie appeared over Danny’s shoulder giving Steve a nod while he held onto Danny’s shoulder.

As things settled a doctor and a nurse entered the room. They began to check Steve over, changing dressings and detaching specific tubes as well as machines.

 “Steven, I am Doctor Scott. I  have to tell you that you are one lucky guy. The knife narrowly missed a major artery in your shoulder. The knife didn’t cause any major damage to your shoulder, but you did take quite a beating. You had minor internal bleeding accompanied by a collection of fractured ribs. , You have extensive bruising covering your torso which will be quite painful while you are healing but all in all, you should heal up just fine.”

Steve squeezed Danny’s hand  
“Thanks, doc.” Steve stuck his hand out, the doctor took it, with that the doctor left the room.    
“I think I’ll give you boys a minute, and then I need to talk to you, Steve.”

Eddie walked out of the room with a smile plastered on his face.

  
“Danny, are you okay?” Steve asked, and Danny laughed in response.

 “Really? You’re the one lying in a hospital bed, and you’re asking if I’m okay. Babe, you’re an extraordinary kind of person. I'm not supposed to be talking, but  I think I can break the rules for you. I’m fine it’s just a bit of bruising.”

  
“You called me babe,” Steve noted.

 Danny began to apologize, but Steve cut him off. “I like it” Steve responded

Steve had the goofiest smile on his face which Danny found to be adorable.

  
“Steve, dad needs to talk to you, so I’m gonna go grab him, are you gonna be okay for a quick second?”  
Steve nodded the watched Danny walk out the door; Steve just loved the way Danny’s hips swayed.  This was the first time he had allowed himself to think these thoughts unhushed. By the time that though passed Danny and Eddie came back into the room and they looked serious.

Danny came and took his seat back beside Steve and entwined there hands once more. Eddie settled himself into another chair on the other side of Steve.

  
“Steve  I know you haven’t really had a stable home since Hawaii, so I spoke to your caseworker, and we have come up with an idea.” Steve nodded.

"We understand that the home that you were in was one of your last options after Rick and we didn’t want to lose you to the system. Steve, we found a house that child services are going to fund in this area. You would be there by yourself, but I would be your guardian who you would have to check-in with every week. A mandatory counselor has also been organized for you as well as Joe has agreed to continue your lessons once you are healthy again."

Tears began to well in Steve’s eyes, and Danny tightened his grip.

“ I talked to Clara, my wife, and she has agreed to it. We would be able to help you pay for books and clothing, and Child services will cover food, rent and anything else that we can’t. Steve, I am so sorry for what has happened to you, so I hope this makes up for all the wrongdoing you have suffered.”

Steve was dumbfounded; he couldn’t believe what had just been said.  
“Eddie, of course, I will take the offer, I can’t leave now.” Steve looked at Danny and smiled.

“Eddie you have been like a father to me over the last couple of months, and it should be me that is apologizing. I have been hell to look after, and you have cared for me no matter what. You don’t owe me anything, but I owe you my life.  You believed me when no one else would've.” Steve had tears running down his cheeks. His voice broke on the last sentence.  
Eddie lent over, putting his mouth close to Steve’s ear. “You can repay me by taking care of Danny.” Eddie stood up straight and gave Steve a look of knowing. The tears stopped, and Steve gave Eddie a nod.

“ I’ll do my best sir.”

  
“Danny I have to go, but I have a feeling that you don’t want to go anywhere. Your mum packed you extra clothes, and I organized it with the nurses as long as you take care of yourself and don’t cause them any trouble. Steve, you are in charge, keep him out of trouble would you and no more talking out of you Danny, doctors order.” Steve giggled, Danny was comically outraged.

“Are you kidding me he is the one in a hospital bed, and he is in charge.” Danny let out a dramatic huff. Danny stood from his seat to support his argument. “See I am currently the physically capable one.” Danny winced at the pain of exhorting his voice.

Steve placed his hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Calm down Danno.” Danny winced at that word.

“Danno? I’m not sure how I feel about that…”

Steve dragged Danny to his height and landed a kiss on his cheek.

That night the nurses found two certain patients curled up together in a very small bed.


	7. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My previous rewrite of this chapter was not sitting right with me so I decided to tweak it. The emotional tension which I had been developing for Steve was dismissed by the previous version of this chapter. I apologize for the reposting of this material, but this chapter has been changed rather majorly, so please to read as I have changed the direction of this chapter.

Danny had been excused from school the last few days, but the excuse was wearing thin with the administration. Danny had been torn between camping out in Steve’s hospital room and ferried home by Eddie.

The relationship between the two boys had blossomed, each second, they spent in each other’s company had boosted their adoration for each other, but neither had made the step toward making it official.

Steve still struggled with openly admitting his sexuality, but he and Danny were working on it, at this moment in time they were just really close friends. Neither of them was game enough to make the first step. This didn’t stop the nurses from regularly making comments about how cute the two of them were. These comments usually made Steve freeze and scotch away from Danny, creating space between the pair. They would take one step back and about twenty backward in the same breathe.

As Steve had claimed so much of the families time, Danny and Eddie decided to introduce the other members of the clan.

Clara had automatically hit it off with Steve when she tagged along in the collection of Danny one afternoon. It took Steve a little while to open himself up to new people, but things were progressing at a new rate compared to his past experiences.

As for Danny’s younger sisters they had swooned at the sight of Steve. The two girls claimed Steve as their new best friend, leaving Steve with no choice. It was one of the cutest and aspiring things Danny had ever seen. The girls had transformed Steve as soon as they stepped foot into the room.

Unfortunately, soon after the girls had left Steve had sobbed into his pillow at the memory of Mary. Danny had comforted him through the familial loss of his sister. Steve hadn’t seen or spoken to Mary since John dropped them at the airport. Steve hadn’t indeed recognized how much he had missed Mary until that day.

When Matt walked into that hospital things, the atmosphere cooled off a bit. Danny had hoped that his kid brother would warm to Steve like the others, but the two teens didn’t have a lot in common, and Matt had paid close attention to the media rumors and was profoundly influenced by those within their school grounds. The trust wasn’t quite there between the two. Things could’ve gone better, but it was just going to take a little bit of time.

For Steve today marked the day that he was going to be released from the hospital, a new chapter in his life. Though doctor didn’t agree with it, he couldn’t give any solid reasons why Steve couldn’t be released into the care of Danny’s family for the next couple of days. The stitches in his shoulder were still to be removed, and the bruising was nowhere near healed, leaving Steve to believe that the hospital bed should be wasted on him anymore and wanted to be discharged.

Eddie had organized for the solo housing to be held off until Steve could fend for himself, making Danny happy as he would get more time to bring Steve out of his shell.

Danny didn’t agree entirely with the solo housing idea entirely, he tried to argue that Steve could just stay at the Williams household, but this arrangement was nonnegotiable. Steve had suffered a great deal of trauma and moving him into a new home would be triggering. When he was transferred to the share house with the other teens, it contained an aspect of freedom that allowed the teens to not feel victimized and oppressed by the house leaders. Putting Steve into a house with dominant figures at this point would be detrimental to him moving through the trauma.

The counselor explained it to Danny as a way that Steve would be able to lose the stigma that was pressed into him by his attackers. On a large scale, it was going to demonstrate to Steve that he wasn’t weak and that he could fend for himself, all whilst being cared for on a foundational level from a distance.

As Eddie was already a figure in Steve’s life, it provided Steve with a role model that wasn’t his direct carer. At this point in time, Steve needed to not be crowded with parental figures. As Eddie was already seen as a protector by Steve, he wouldn’t be associated with the oppressing characters Steve previously had in his life. This factor accompanied by Steve’s outlets would help him heal and create a new identity within himself and the community.

The method behind their madness made sense to Danny, but he also knew that Steve’s mind still told him tales which ate away at his sleep when he was alone, instilling doubt in Danny’s mind.

Danny wanted to keep Steve close, and he didn’t want Steve to suffer anymore, or be alone ever again.

Danny’s heart had accepted Steve in, and losing this boy was going to tear Danny apart.

In the midst of his thought tirade, Danny had fallen asleep against Steve’s shoulder.

When Eddie came to Steve’s room to collect the boys, he stopped in the doorway to see Steve dressed with Danny curled into his side.

Danny’s head rested on Steve’s undamaged shoulder, his eyes closed, and body relaxed, whereas Steve’s eyes were open, and he was watching focused on the door where Eddie currently stood.

Steve raised a finger to his mouth signaling Eddie to stay quiet. Steve began to shake Danny, slowly bringing the blonde out of his sleep so they could get a wiggle on.

“Mmmm 5 more minutes,” Danny mumbled, burying his head further into Steve’s chest. Steve held back a cringe as Eddie held the boys in his gaze.

 “Danno you gotta wake up, it’s time to get out of here.” Danny didn’t budge.

Steve resorted to another tactic. He danced his fingers along Danny’s sides, drawing a fit of giggles from the deadweight against his body.

Danny opened his eyes; he still looked like he was asleep.

“Alright, alright I’m up,” Danny said in the same motion of sitting up. He swung his legs over the side, not realizing that he was still in the high hospital bed. Danny stumbled and began his descent toward to cool vinyl floor when Steve wrapped his arm around Danny, altering the teen's trajectory. Danny flushed red with embarrassment and motioned for Steve to get up so he could make his escape.

Steve sneakily ruffled Danny’s his hair messing it up, wrecking Danny’s sleeked back and neat appearance. Steve couldn’t resist messing it up.

Steve tried to refute against the commands to get in the wheelchair but soon recognized that it wasn’t a battle he was going to win. Eddie guided the group toward the car.

As they passed the nurses desk, the two boys waved goodbye and thanked them for all their work.

The trip to the house was silent.

Steve was extremely nervous about entering a new home environment though he would never express it out loud.

When they got home, Steve and Danny weren’t overrun by members of the Williams clan. They had been instructed not to overwhelm Steve as this first night was going to have him on edge. Clara gave Steve a quick hug hello while the girls gave an energetic wave from their play area, quickly returning to their games.

Danny noticed how stiff Steve was and needed to change the situation and break the ice. Danny grabbed Steve’s hand and pulled him out of the pile of people, dragging him up a staircase.

Steve was astonished by this place and was too caught up in taking in the house to follow Danny’s directions. Danny detoured the talking and took to yanking Steve in the direction he wanted the pair to travel.

The next direction Steve was yanked in concluded their journey.Their final destination revealed itself to be Danny’s bedroom.

There was a cabinet full of baseball trophies against the far wall beside a desk covered in crap. The walls were plastered with posters of baseball players and photos capturing happy moments throughout Danny’s life. A tear ran down Steve’s cheek. He was so sick of crying.

Looking around Danny’s room solidified everything Steve was missing in his life, everything he had missed out on over time. When he was in Hawaii, his needs were met, but he had lost a significant portion of growing up due to family drama and their work.

Steve wiped the tears from his eyes before Danny could notice his current emotional turmoil. Steve didn’t feel like being the injured pup at the moment.

Danny set Steve’s bag on the bed, then turned towards Steve who was now looking at the trophies adorning the shelves of the case.

Danny could only admire this boy from afar for so long. He had decided that this moment was as good a time as any.

He walked over and grabbed the front of Steve’s shirt pulling his face down to his height, their lips connect.

At first, Steve didn’t know what to do with himself and froze. His heart begged him to let it happen, but his brain screamed no.

A memory popped up in Steve’s mind of Rick beating him senseless after he had overheard Steve talking about his confusion from liking a boy with Emily. Rick didn’t stop until Steve could appropriately describe what he wanted to do to a girl. Steve knew it was fucked up, but Rick’s voice wouldn’t leave him be at this moment.

Danny grabbed Steve’s hands placing them on his own hips and continued to kiss the hell out of Steve, though Steve still stood frozen.

Danny moved his hands up into Steve’s hair, his nails scratched Steve’s scalp causing the lanky brunette to let out a moan. Steve tried to pull away, but Danny just changed his tact and began to land his kisses on the golden skin of Steve’s neck. The situation was out of Steve’s hands.

 Just as Danny continued to escalate things, a clearing of a throat was heard from the doorway.  Steve quickly pulled apart, taking a few significant steps away to fast, setting him off balance and landing him on his ass.

Danny took a deep breathe trying to contain the joy he had been feeling a mere handful of seconds earlier before Steve disappeared from his grasp.

 “Sorry boys, Danny your mum wants to know if you guys need lunch.”

“Nah I think we’re good we’ll come down and get something if we get hungry,” Danny replied. Eddie chuckled.

“Okay, you boys behave.”  With that Eddie started walking down the hallway. As he reached the stairs he halted and yelled back over his shoulder; “and the door stays open.”

Steve stayed frozen on the floor, with an untelling expression plastered on his face.

 Danny glided over to the teen on the ground, outstretching his hand to help him up. As Steve became upright, Danny tried to respark their previous encounter.  Steve had to distract the teen, he wasn’t ready to hear Rick in his head again.

Steve dodged Danny’s assault and diving onto the bed. He soon regretted his choice of escape. Steve rolled onto his back taking the strain off his shoulder which he had just landed on.

“You deserved that, and you know it.” Danny looked down at his watch thinking to himself. “I think you are due for another dose of pain meds anyway.” Danny grabbed the bottle off the nightstand and passed it to Steve, he then took off down the stairs fetching a glass of water.

When Danny walked back through the door, he found Steve relaxing against the pillows awaiting, Danny’s return. Steve accepted the glass from Danny, quickly downing the pills.

The silence continued to fall on the room, creating an awkward ambiance.

 “So where am I sleeping?” Steve asked attempting to break the silence.

Danny patted the bed. “Right here beside me. I convinced dad that we had pretty much been sharing your hospital for the last week anyway. As you heard earlier his rule is that we keep the door open. No dirty business and we should be fine.” Danny recognized that the last comment had made Steve uncomfortable.

‘Shit, too far Williams,’ Danny thought to himself.

Danny halted his assessment of Steve to try and think of a way to resurrect the mood in the room.

After a second Danny’s eyes opened, and he pounced attacking Steve but not in the way Steve had been expecting.

Danny’s fingers found their way to Steve’s sides and began tickling him. Steve froze as he was assaulted by more memories.

Steve began struggling to try to get loose, non-verbally yelling at Danny to stop. But Danny kept tickling him thinking that Steve was just playing around. Steve closed his eyes, trying to collect himself like he had been taught. He tried to get his breathing under control and fight the assault of memories for the second time within the hour.  In his mind, Danny’s hands were to collective of his attackers.

Danny still hadn’t identified that Steve’s pleas weren’t out of a place of mucking around, they were out of an area of pure panic. Steve had to get Danny’s attention somehow.

 Steve’s hand had crept down to Danny’s crotch, realizing the teen was, in fact, a teen.

Danny sucked in a deep breath stopping his attack for the split-second Steve needed. Steve flipped them over, ending up straddling Danny’s waist.

Danny finally became an audience to Steve’s panic. He went to open his mouth to comfort.

“Don’t” was all Steve mumbled before latching his mouth onto Danny’s neck, biting and sucking random places, trying to redirect Danny’s worry. Steve discovered those places that made Danny writhe and groan, causing Danny to become aroused. When Danny began to reciprocate, Steve’s mind faltered, causing his actions to freeze.

Danny brushed his erection against Steve’s thigh in an encouraging notion.

Steve honestly wanted to lose himself in the moment, but his mind was still passing judgments against the two of them. causing Steve to honestly lose himself in their actions.

Danny suddenly pulled back breaking pulling Steve out of his internal turmoil for a split second.

“What?”  Danny pressed a finger to Steve’s lips.

“Quick someone is coming.” Steve scurried off Danny, his mind edging towards panic thinking that it would be Rick that would be walking through that door.

Steve released his held breathe as he recognized Lucy running into the room. She jumped on the bed creating a blockade that Rick would have approved of.

Steve shivered at the thought that Rick would have rather seen Steve with this 8-year-old rather than Danny.

“What ya doing?” Lucy said smiling. Steve thanked whoever was looking over them for this little girls innocence at this moment.

Danny recognized the vibe of the room and needed time to collect himself.

Danny suggested that Lucy should take Steve to the playroom and as Lucy didn’t require a lot of prompting she soon tore out of the room with a shell-shocked Steve in tow.

 Danny relaxed back against the pillows and let out a groan. What the hell had just happened, he thought to himself. How had Danny not noticed Steve panic? After they had been interrupted Steve seemed to have run away from Danny, but then Danny had continued to push the point though he could tell Steve wasn’t entirely enthused in action.

Steve had then panicked under Danny, streaming them into another makeout session, which Danny had rather enjoyed. Unfortunately, as soon as Steve had recognized that someone was going to see he had thrown himself away from the situation. Another forty steps backward in the sense of Steve’s progress

Danny lay there in his state of confusion till his stomach rumbled. Damn, they had skipped out on lunch.

Danny made his way down to the kitchen making himself and Steve a sandwich for when the teen made his escape from the two girls.

Danny scoffed down his sandwich again being lost in thought about what had occurred upstairs.

Sometime later Steve appeared in the kitchen with Lucy at his side, partially freezing when he noted that Danny was sitting at the bench.  

Danny just  sat there and observed the pair as they took a seat at the counter, though Steve was somewhat cautious in his approach.

Danny shoved the sandwich in Steve’s direction, not interrupting their conversation.

“So, Steve, Danny tells me you’re from Hawaii, do you miss it?” well  that kid had zero filters.

Steve looked up from the sandwich, being caught off guard.

Danny tuned in waiting for Steve’s answer. “Yeah sometimes Luce,” was Steve’s response.

Luckily Clara burst into the room breaking the accumulating tension. Danny noted that Steve took this as an opportunity to divert Lucy’s questioning.

“Have you ever been to Hawaii Mrs. Williams?” Steve smoothly asked.

“Steve please call me Clara or Ma none of that Mrs. Williams junk from you young man” Steve stiffly nodded.

‘Nice one Ma’ Danny thought to himself.

“As for your question, yes, I have. Believe it or not, I was a surf bum at one point I followed the waves.”

Danny quickly turned his focus from Steve to his Ma, in shock from her statement.

“Son, don’t  look so shocked. I was young once upon a time, I wasn’t always a mum. I met your father, so I hunkered down here in Jersey, though I do miss the waves. Jersey doesn’t really have good waves.”

Danny noted yet another change in Steve’s presence, Steve relaxed somewhat.

“I know what you mean,” Steve added, and that is where the conversation died.

Clara decided that the situation needed a witty comment and began to divulge a conversation targeted toward the relationship between the two boys.

“Steven if you break my baby’s heart, I will hunt you down.”

Danny regretted that remark ever leaving his mother’s mouth.

Steve chuckled nervously as a wooden spoon was wagged in his direction.

Eddie then walked in on the scene, offering his advice. “Be careful she usually goes through with her threats.”

Danny internally facepalmed, he was beginning to understand why Steve was better off on his own, the Williams’ were currently royally screwing this up.

“Well, as I don’t plan on hurting anyone, so I think I’m safe.”  The conversation was then closed as Steve shifting his gaze to Danny.

Clara began collecting things for dinner whilst the boys just sat there gazing at one another.

Matt finally made himself known in the room causing shit to hit the fan in a more obvious way.

 “What nothing, what they are is disgusting, can’t you see how wrong this is? Are you serious nothing? You both should be ashamed, you are disgusting!”  

Clara interjected with a “That is enough Mathew” causing Matt to run up the stairs swearing and yelling about how disgusting their relationship is.

Steve dropped Danny’s gaze and lowered his head, shrinking away from the situation, retreating within himself. Danny wanted to run up those stairs and beat Matt senseless for this.

Danny quickly demolished that thought, realizing it was such thoughts that had ruined the Steve currently trying to vanish himself into thin air beside him. Everything Mat had just said had played into Steve’s inner turmoil.

“Maybe I should just go, I don’t think this is a good idea.” Steve raised off his stool. Danny froze as he had agreed with what Steve had just said in a roundabout way.

The room stayed silent until Lucy launched herself from her stool attaching herself to Steve.

“Don’t let Mattie get to yow, he is just mewdy.” Danny nodded his head in agreement.

“Please listen to the eight-year-old Steven, Matt is just a pigheaded fifteen-year-old. He has never copped with change well, but he will get over it. Let’s just get ready for dinner, yeah?” Danny made a grab for Steve’s hand to make a connection with the boy, but Steve once again shifted out of Danny’s reach.

“I’m not really hungry, I think I’ll just head to bed.” Danny was hurt by this statement. Danny understood that this was hard for Steve , but Danny was losing him to society, and it felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest.

Danny watched as Steve’s form disappeared up the stairs. Clara and Eddie still stood frozen in the kitchen, unmoving after their son's outburst and Steve’s withdrawal.

Clara then smacked Eddie in the arm with the wooden spoon that she still wielded ushering Eddie toward the stairs to go and talk to Matt.

Lucy was none the wiser to the climate as she returned to the playroom to collect Sarah to begin setting the table.

Danny tried to distract himself from the teen upstairs by helping his Ma with dinner. They were making the famous Williams lasagne in an attempt of persuading Steve to come and eat. Tonight was supposed to be the official welcome to the family for Steve, but things had somehow managed to go haywire, and half the family didn’t realize that they had contributed to the shitstorm that was today.

Once they finished cooking and dinner was placed at the table Danny called to the members upstairs, but only two of them made the descent. No Steve.

Danny gave Matt the cold shoulder as they took their seats at the table. Danny ignored the angsty teen when he asked for the salad, which earnt Danny the stink eye from his mother.

Clara profoundly believed in family and was easily forgiving. Danny couldn’t understand that she couldn’t see the hurt that Matt had caused.

Danny quickly finished his meal, excusing himself from the table. Steve had been alone for long enough in Danny’s eyes, so he began his ascent up the stairs.

The sight that awaited Danny upstairs is not what he was expecting. Steve had taken a pillow from the bed and a quilt from the cupboard and settled himself on the floor away from the bed.

‘What had they done to this boy?’ Danny thought to himself.

Zero steps forward, one hundred backward.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is extremely welcome. Please leave a comment so I know people are really reading my work...


	8. Completing the Puzzle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a filler chapter, adding a bit of fluff until the next big event.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please make sure you have read the most recent update of chapter 7 (One Step Forward, Two Steps Back) as I made drastic changes to it, and it set this chapter up.  
> I apologize if this chapter is weak but please stay tuned as things are going to become rather dramatic over the next couple of chapters.  
> Please comment your thoughts at the end of this chapter, all your opinions are greatly appreciated.

Steve heard the door open but continued his charade of sleep on the floor. Steve had to admit that this isn’t what he had pictured when Eddie explained that they would be welcoming him into their home until Steve was healed enough to live on his own. Whilst he was in the hospital Danny had painted his family to be the most open and caring people that Steve would ever meet, but at this moment Steve wanted to be nowhere near most of them.

Steve didn’t blame them, he knew that all of this was his fault and the way that he had been brought up. Life had never been smooth for Steve, he didn’t want to do that to Danny or his family, he shouldn’t be here.

Steve went to roll over, once again forgetting about the knife wound in his shoulder. A groan escaped his mouth, alerting the person in the doorway to his consciousness.

“Steve?”

It was Danny. Steve didn’t open his eyes hoping that Danny wouldn’t push it.

“Steve, we need to talk. I’m sorry how today unfolded, this isn’t how things were supposed to go. I know you are awake, time to get up and face the issue like the therapist said.”

Steve knew that Danny wasn’t going to let this go easily, so he forfeited his position on the ground and traded it for a place on the end of the bed.

 Danny entered the room entirely, closing the door. He pulled the chair from his desk and taking a seat directly in front of Steve.

“Steve, I would firstly like to apologize for my actions that took place in this room earlier. I should’ve known that you weren’t ready for any of it, and I should have controlled myself. Also, I should have identified that you were not into it and seen that you were panicking. Today was meant to be you hitting the reset button, and I screwed it up.”

Steve interjected before Danny could continue.

“Danny none of this is your fault, I am just fucked up, and I shouldn’t be like this. You deserve so much more.”

Everything Steve had been bottling up all day was boiling at the surface, threatening to escape past all the barriers that Steve had built up since Doris. He drove the palms of his hands into his eyes trying to physically stop the tears from escaping. The force Steve was applying was teetering on the brink of painful, but it still wasn’t enough to stop the emotions from taking him.

Steve felt two hands embrace his wrists lightly, trying to draw them away from his face.

“Steve stop.” Was the last thing Steve heard before he was encapsulated by Danny’s embrace.

The last thread holding Steve’s defenses together snapped and everything came gushing out. Steve’s hands fell from his eyes and tears began to heavily fall from his eyes. Danny sat down on the bed fully pulling Steve into his side.

Steve turned his body into Danny, burying his face into Danny’s shoulder, hands fisting in the teen's shirt.

Steve had not allowed such a display of raw emotion since Doris’s death when Mary had come into his room, and they both fell apart in each other’s presence. This time it felt good to get everything out. At this moment Danny was his lifeline, allowing Steve to feel safe enough to let go and fall apart for the second time in his life.

 Danny planted kisses on the top of Steve’s head ushering words of comfort, allowing Steve just to be.

Steve continued to sob into Danny’s shirt until the point of exhaustion. Danny guided the embrace further and further up the bed until they were against the pillows, which they lay against not breaking the embrace. Steve began to calm himself enough to fall asleep as the tears started to dry.

 Danny made sure that Steve wasn’t lying on his injured shoulder before he allowed himself to close his eyes and join Steve in unconsciousness.

At some time during the night Danny felt Steve begin to stir, startling him from his sleep. The restless fits were accompanied by pleas for an attacker to stop. Danny embraced the teen tighter to his side, whispering reassurance that Steve was safe. After Danny’s reassurance, Steve began to settle once again, relaxing against Danny.

Danny’s heart still beat rapidly in his chest, but he was glad that Steve had broken out of the dream.

Some nights at the hospital Danny was witness to full blown night terrors that caused Steve to wake screaming, fever-ridden and drenched in sweat. The fear in Steve’s eyes had made Danny want to track down the abusers and make them suffer, but all he could do was attempt to comfort Steve back to reality.

Tonight, Steve hadn’t made it that far and was thankfully sleeping through the night, as Danny was about to do.

 

In the morning Steve was the first to wake. He snuggled into Danny’s warmth, feeling more at peace than he had ever before. Last night he had allowed Danny in, unlike many others that surrounded him these days. A sense of nervousness niggled at the pit of Steve’s stomach. What if last night he had screwed things up? Steve ignored the feeling and buried his face into Danny’s exposed neck and planted a kiss on the flesh.

That moment was the first genuine expression of Steve’s feelings, and the first time Steve allowed himself to admit such feelings existed since Rick. This boy in his arms had saved him, and Steve owed it to him to try. Steve could do this, he could love this boy.

All negative emotions disappeared from Steve’s body allowing him to truly appreciate what he had. Sure, they had problems to deal with and a long way to go, but Danny made Steve feel like he could take on the world.

Danny began to wake from his slumber, curling into the warmth just as Steve had.

“Good morning,” Steve mumbled against the flesh.

“Morning,” Danny groaned back.

Neither of the two budged from the position on the bed, they refused to break their bubble. Even a knock at the door didn’t disturb their peace.

Whoever at the door got the hint and left the two undisturbed.

After some time, Steve’s neck began to ache in the position they currently held.   As he began to move to adjust the position, Danny sat up. Steve refused to make the commitment to sitting up, so he shifted his head onto Danny’s thigh. Danny’s hand made its way into Steve’s hair caressing his scalp.

As Steve began to relax once again, the door swung up, bursting their bubble open. Steve jumped up nearly head-butting Danny square in the face. Matt stood in the doorway, school bag slung over his shoulder. A disgusted noise escaped his throat before he disappeared. Danny jumped from the bed expleteing as he began to change.

Steve mistook Danny’s reaction for one of equal disgust and buried his face into the pillow. How had he allowed himself to relax into this?

Danny halted his actions and moved back onto the bed, where Steve currently was breathing heavily.

Steve was having a panic attack.

Danny had to calm Steve down before he hyperventilated and passed out. Danny couldn’t gain Steve’s attention, luckily Eddie came into the room to investigate and quickly sprang into action. He ignored the fact that Steve was only dressed in boxers and began to enact the instructions given to him by the medical professionals. Clara entered the scene and grabbed Danny by the arm. The look that she was conveying to Danny told him to leave the room. The last thing Steve saw was Eddie pulling Steve into a seated position and making Steve’s hands into a cup against his mouth. The image of Steve’s wild eyes imprinted onto the back of Danny’s mind.

Just outside the room, Clara pulled Danny into her arms, hugging her son to her chest. Danny was freaked out and angry. Matt was ruining everything.

Danny was lead downstairs by his Ma, lucky for Matt he wasn’t there.

Danny sat at the bench refusing to eat the cowl of cereal that Clara had pushed in front of him. He needed to see Steve.

Clara gave up trying to make Danny eat and left the room to take the girls to school.

Danny sat there, at the bench, and watched his cereal turn to unrecognizable mush, waiting to hear footsteps on the stairs.

Matt had never acted like this before, what was going on? When Danny had come out, he had gone to Mat first, they were close. Any problem either of them had they had shared with each other. Danny knew that Matt had become closer with the Footballers at school, surely, they weren’t the ones fuelling this behavior. Danny had to talk to Matt, once he had calmed down, and Matt had returned from school.

Finally, the sound Danny had been waiting for. Footsteps.

Danny turned to see Steve standing halfway down the stairs deep in conversation with Eddie. Danny smiled at the two, catching none of their conversation.

Steve’s eyes locked with Danny’s and a matching smile crept onto his face.

Danny pushed away from the bench and approached Steve warily, not wanting to trigger him.

Danny was surprised when Steve initiated the contact, drawing Danny into a hug. This felt so right to the both.

Things were looking up.

Danny emptied his bowl, replacing the bowl with fresh cereal and pouring the same for Steve who had sat himself to Danny’s stool.

The two sat together chatting like typical teens, about anything and everything. Once they had finished Eddie had let them know that he was off to work reminding the boys that he was a phone call away. After Eddie’s departure the conversation developed a serious tone, they were finally going to talk about what happened.

“Danny I’m sorry I freaked out, you deserve an explanation...”

Danny tried to interject, but Danny cut him off with the story of how Rick had beat him because of his ‘impure,’ gay thoughts. Danny became silent and teary throughout the story. At some point in the story, Danny had captured Steve’s hand trying to send all his support to Steve.

By the end of the story, Danny understood why Steve had done as he had. Danny couldn’t relate on any level to Steve’s story because everyone had been super open and supportive when he had come out as gay, but on a foundational level, he understood it.

Danny wanted to hug Steve tightly once again, but he could see that it was not what Steve needed at this moment. Danny recognized that the memories would be prevalent in Steve’s mind right now after telling his story so the hand that he was holding would have to do.

The boys spent the day talking about everything and becoming more comfortable with each other on a new level. They weren’t physical with one another, but their connection was growing on a different level. In the hospital, Danny had got to know the façade that Steve had built, but his Steve was something new entirely.

This Steve that sat beside him was open to talking about things that he had never spoken to anyone else before. By the time that Clara returned after a full day away, the boys had shifted to the lounge where they had dozed off embracing one another.

The events of the day before had been forgotten, and the damage that wounded Steve had begun to heal.

While the boys napped, Clara drew here phone from her pocket snapping a photo of the boys, before leaving the room to put all the shopping away and begin dinner before everyone returned

That night the entire family gathered around the table for the first time since Steve’s arrival in their lives. Matt stayed silent shooting looks at the two boys who were ignoring him. Lucy and Sarah carried the conversation, talking about their day at school.

Steve looked at the current scene, this is what he had been missing. Steve’s heart was sufficed with the situation if only things stayed as they were. He could no longer continue to hide from the world.

School was going to be his first steps into this world as an openly gay man without an oppressing force waiting for him at home.

The puzzle pieces were falling into place.


	9. Just Another Thing

Today was the day that Steve was dreading. Today was the day he had to go back to school.

Danny had been forced to go back a few days ago, and each day when Danny returned, Steve could see his mood decreasing. Steve had wished that he was at Danny’s side when he had to return, but the school was not going to allow him back in his state.  Though Danny never complained, Steve had learned to read the teen.

Since Steve’s first day at the Williams’ house he and Danny had grown even more inseparable, the only relationship rivaling this was the one that had formed between Lucy Williams and Steve. These two had become each other’s partner in crime, thick as thieves they were. Steve and Lucy often outsourced a lot of their mischief to Sarah, but Danny always knew who was truly behind it. Steve and Lucy pulled of many pranks in the few days they had been in each others presence. One afternoon when Lucy was ‘sick,’ her and Steve had confiscated Clara’s aluminum and wrapped all of Danny’s possessions. Danny was at first amazed at the effort that had been applied but grew more distressed when he discovered the extent of the prank. Luckily for Danny, his father was a detective and foiled many of the schemes before Danny returned from school. In these moments Steve felt like he had found his place in the world.

Since Danny and Steve spoke openly about each other's pasts, Steve had been able to relax, seeing that this family wasn’t going to hurt him. Steve wished that he didn’t have to leave but as a part of the State commissioned ruling Steve had been emancipated on the condition that he boarded in the house supplied. Steve and Danny found a loophole in said conditions. They never said anything about elongated sleepovers and visitors to his new home.

Steve had, had the stitches removed and that sealed his fate. School. Steve was terrified, and his mind was back to its old tricks. His brain was providing g Steve with scenarios and tales that held Steve on the edge of panic attacks most of the night. He barely slept the night before, and barely ate that morning.

Steve knew that the news didn’t hide anything, but they twisted the story to encourage viewing. The NJPD released a press release to try and straighten the story out, but that was warped as well. Some news provided painted Steve as the victim that he was, but many called for his removal from the free world. Some witnesses had been interviewed, and she portrayed Steve as a bloodthirsty killer. Steve didn’t know which was worse. The ferocious murder that should not be trusted, or the weak victim that should be pitied? For once Steve just wanted to be Steve.

Moreover, media garbage was Steve’s relationship status with Danny. Danny wanted to be loud and proud and shout it from the rooftops where Steve wanted to keep it as their business. Steve had come to terms with his sexuality and was willing to share it with his family, but he didn’t believe that everyone needed to be privy to this information. Danny didn’t understand that Steve was already being judged and dragged through the mud as it was, he didn’t want to take Danny down with him. No matter how Steve explained it, Danny pushed Steve’s concerns to the side and told him that everything was going to be alright. If only Danny knew what was in store for the two of them.

Instead of sleeping till their alarm that morning Steve snuck out of bed and shucked on his workout kit. He was sick of feeling weak. The doctors had displayed their concern about working out before being fully healed, but Steve couldn’t hold out any longer. Steve wasn’t silly enough to try and complete any sort of fitness circuit, he just wanted to go for a run and shake out the cobwebs.

His feet beat against the pavement creating a rhythm that out cried the thoughts that had scared off his sleep that night. In Steve’s mind, all he could see was the goal that he was trying to reach that morning. Steve rounded a corner to see the sun beginning to peak out through the cloud cover signaling the need to turn around if he was going to have enough time to shower before heading off to school. As the Williams house came into view, Steve noticed that his caseworker's car was parked by the curb.

He slowed to a walk, covering the ground between the curb and the front door allowing himself to catch his breath.

When Steve entered the Williams’ home, he was swept up in the morning madness. Clara was in the kitchen cooking up a storm whilst Lucy, and Sarah sat at the kitchen table coloring, in their school uniforms. Marnie, Steve’s caseworker, was sat on the kitchen bench enthralled in a uniform free Eddie. The two of them were sipping coffees whilst they discussed Steve’s move. Matt disappeared from the room as Steve came into his eye line. Danny was nowhere to be seen. Steve waved good morning to everyone before he began to take the stairs two at a time.

Steve reached the landing of the second floor when a lightbulb illuminated above his head. Steve quickly ran back down the stairs collecting Lucy and a jug. Steve and Lucy entered Danny’s room to see the blonde haired teen wrapped up in his doona still fast asleep. Steve darted into the bathroom handing Lucy a second jug that he had found in the bathroom. They strategically approached the bed before drowning Danny’s unconscious form in refreshing water.

Danny shot up in the bed gasping for air in shock.

 “WHAT THE FUCK STEVEN!” Danny yelled, assessing the damage to his sheets. It was at this moment Danny noted Lucy’s presence in the room. Danny acted quickly dragging the two distracted from into the bed assuring that both Steve and Lucy joined him in his state.  Earlier in the week Steve would’ve panicked in the situation he found himself in, but it was Danny. Danny would never hurt him, he knew that now.

The three occupants of the drenched bed burst into laughter as Sarah appeared at the door and shouted down to Clara; “MUM, Danny wet the bed!”

The only reply she got from downstairs was a command to get ready for school from Clara and a threat about how Lucy’s uniform better not be wet. Opps.

Steve jumped in the shower whilst Danny changed the sheets and helped Lucy change into a dry uniform. When Steve came down the stairs for the final time that morning, he embraced the family environment that surrounded him knowing in a few days he would be on his own.

Steve skipped breakfast reviling in the feeling of Anxiety that was ruling his stomach.

Clara hugged him goodbye, wishing him well for his first day back at school. Eddie waved them out the door still enthused in his conversation with Marnie.

He and Danny climbed into Danny’s car with Lucy and Sarah already situated in the back.

After dropping the girls at school, a cold vibe encapsulated the air around them and dread filled Steve. Danny didn’t have the words to remove such feelings, so he captured Steve’s hand with his free one as the turned the final corner bring the school into sight. Luckily Matt had refused Danny’s offer for a lift this morning because Steve needed some coaching before he was able to step out of the car, which would’ve been damaging in front of Matt.

Once Steve was ready as he was ever going to be, he shouldered his schoolbag and entered the school grounds with Danny’s hand still firmly in his grasp, there was no way he was going to let go.

It was like somebody had frozen every student in the school. Every pupil stopped and stared at the pair as they strolled toward the West block of lockers. Then the group that Danny had been trying to avoid began their approach toward the couple. The baseball jocks didn’t heed the warning that Danny had offered earlier in the week when Danny threatened to hand in his jersey if they didn’t cut out their attitude

There was no hesitance in their posture as they walked straight up to Danny and Steve.

“Oi Danny, what are you doing with this psycho? His foster Daddy couldn’t fix him so why do you think that you can?” Danny’s grip on Steve’s hand tightened beyond comfort it was like he was trying to restrain Steve.

The words hurt but Steve was holding in his anger, but not dropping his gaze from the groups stare, he wasn’t going to let them defeat him.

 He clenched his fists at his side, but Danny beat him to the punch with the retort.

 “Piss off James, you don’t know anything. Steve is nothing like what you think, just because your druggie father puts you on a pedestal doesn’t mean that you amount to anything near Steve.”

James flinched and took a step forward toward Danny with intent in his eyes. Danny had pressed at James’s buttons, and he was about to get a reaction, they hadn’t even made it to their first class.

 James swung his fist, but Steve yanked Danny back and caught James’s fist and twisted it behind his back like Joe had taught him in his first lesson. Joe told him that violence wasn’t the answer, but the self-defense was crucial for survival.

 Steve saw the grimace cover James’s face, so he let up on his grip, shoving James back into his group of followers who hadn’t moved a muscle to help. James was quick to face back up to his opponents though. It was like he couldn’t see the bigger picture of what was going on here. All he could see was his ego that had just been damaged in front of a large percentage of the school.

“Oh, so the murderer has a little bitch now! Gee Danny, I didn’t think you’d stoop so low to get a cheap lay. If I knew you were so desperate I would’ve fixed you myself,” James said grabbing the front of his own pants. “but you aren’t really my type, and by the looks of psycho over there I’m not yours either. You’re into the wounded bird type.”

The words had broken through Steve faced. James could attack Steve as much as he wanted but when he began to attack Danny, it changed things.

 Steve took a step forward getting all up in James’s grill. The rest of the baseball jocks took a step back in fear.  

In the conflict, Steve was not the first to throw a punch, but he threw the last.

James had tried to catch the side of Steve’s face but landed it directly against Steve’s guard. Steve was a quick study, and everything Joe had taught him was being utilized. Steve pulled to the ground, landing his weight on top pinning James to the asphalt. The last punch in the thrown in the fight dragged Steve back to his fight against Rick. Flashes of Emily’s lifeless body made their way to the forefront of his consciousness. Luckily James had had enough and was able to take advantage of Steve’s frozen state, Danny did though.

Danny grabbed Steve under the armpits and dragged him of the boy on the ground and tried to move him from the circle of people who had formed around the fight. Danny looked at Matt, who was standing amongst the Jocks group, for help. Matt sneered back so Danny refocused on Steve.

Danny could see the panic that was building in Steve’s eyes and could see that he was heading toward a full-blown panic attack. Danny had to get him out of there. Danny guided the teen toward the front gates where Danny’s car was waiting. Danny unlocked the vehicle and guided Steve into the passenger seat. Danny crouched down in front of the teen and grabbed Steve’s hands.

Danny formed Steve’s hands into a cup as he had seen Eddie do that one time and place them against Steves' face, covering his mouth. Steve’s breath became less hectic rather quickly and was quickly replaced with tears. Steve’s hands dropped from his face and dragged Danny up and into an awkward seated hug. They stayed like that for minutes until they heard a clearing of a throat. Mr. Buckley stood there awaiting the boy’s full attention. Danny stood up straight, bringing Steve with him, reconnecting their hands. Mr. Buckley raised his eyebrows at the sight in front of him.

“Well, I did not expect this,” he said under his breath.

Danny began to work on his vocal skills, explaining what had gone on, but it didn’t seem like things were being fixed at all.

“Boys the principal has said that all parties are to leave the school grounds for today. James is on his way to the hospital with a suspected broken nose, and the principal has said that you boys should take the day to let things blow over. I have your backs, and I’ll sort everything out here at school. I just wanted you to know that I have your backs. Okay?” The boys nodded, and Mr. Buckley began his walk back through the school gates.

“Well, that went better than I thought,” was all Danny could think to say.

“I’m sorry Danny, all I’ve done is drag you into this.” A fresh stream of tears began to fall down Steve’s cheeks. Danny drew him into a hug once again.

After a while, Danny convinced Steve to get in the car and Danny began to drive to a spot that he knew Steve enjoyed and would help clear his head.

Danny directed his car into a carpark that overlooked the sandy shores that adorned the coast of Jersey. As Danny put the car into park, he shot a quick text off to his dad letting Eddie know where the two of them were. As Danny threw his phone back into the console, Steve opened the door and stepped out. Danny stayed in his seat as he watched Steve walk around and disappear from his view in front of the car. Danny finally got out and walked around to join Steve on the ground. Steve had tears once again streaming

“Steve, I need you to calm down and talk to me, things are going to be okay, you heard Mr. Buckley, it’s only for today.”

“We walked into school, I could see everyone staring and whispering, so I put my head down and kept walking. Then James started running mouth about me, but then he brought you into it. You tried to defend me, but then He tried to hit you and began to drag you through the dirt. I hit him, I just hit him, and I think I broke his nose, he was on the ground before I knew it then the flashbacks started. Now we are here.”  Danny slung his arm around Steve’s shoulders trying to comfort him, only to have it shaken off. Danny was going to need more help this time.

 


	10. Skipping Stones, and Crumbling Worlds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been one of the hardest chapters for me to write by far.  
> I've mostly been following the original version of this story and changing slight details here and there. Some of the changes that I made meant that this chapter shouldn't exist. I had to find a way to bridge the last chapter to the next big event which existed in the original. I hope this chapter is alright.  
> I know I'm putting these characters through huge events and pain each chapter, but that is how this story went. I'm trying to throw some stuffing in here and there to extend the time between events but in the end, it is what it is.  
> Please leave a comment after reading.  
> Mahalo

 

Danny hung up his phone and walked back toward Steve, help was necessary, Steve was still unresponsive to Danny’s comfort. Danny sat back down on the gravel in front of his car beside Steve.

Suddenly Steve shifted. He crouched and repositioned himself, so he now sat between Danny’s thighs and his head rested back on Danny’s shoulder. Danny was surprised by Steve’s move, but undoubtedly this was a step back from the abyss for Steve. Steve shifted once more allowing for Danny to see a sliver of his face.

Steve’s eyes were closed, and his breathing had evened out, was he asleep? Danny’s question was answered when light snoring could be heard from the teen between his legs. He looked peaceful. Steve usually slept well when Danny was in his presence, except for last night, but neither of them really got any sleep last night with school hanging over them.

Steve snuggled further into Danny, as a car could be heard pulling up in the gravel carpark.

A door slammed causing Steve to shift in his sleep, but he did not rouse. Footsteps approached the couple and halted just a mere handful of strides away. Danny peered up at Joe with a hopeful look on his face.

Joe sat down beside Danny, patting his shoulder in greeting.

“How’s our boy doing?” Joe asked.

Danny shook his head, “I’m not really sure. He had a panic attack after the fight; he didn’t really say much else. He said something about flashbacks, but that was about it. He wouldn’t respond to me Joe; it’s like he isn’t really there now.”

“Danny keep in mind that Steve has always dealt with stress on his own, internalizing things is natural for him. You’ve known him for a few weeks; there are sixteen years of experiences in this boy’s life that you couldn’t imagine. It’s going to take time, but we will get him there.”

Danny focused his gaze back on Steve’s sleeping face, sweeping the teens fringe off his forehead.

“The way that he has been talking to me over the past few days, I thought he had let me in. I feel like we’ve just moved back to square one, it’s frustrating, but I don’t have anything to complain about compared to him. I'm so selfish.”

“Danny you don’t need to shoulder the world on your own back. You can’t expect all the trauma to heal over a couple of days. It could take a lifetime for Steve to recover from it all, but you are doing everything you possibly can by sticking by his side. Steve will give you emotional whiplash, but never take anything he throws at you to heart, but keep in mind that over the next couple of hours Steve will be on edge until he identifies his surroundings as safe again. Whatever happened at school triggered his flashbacks, and transported him back to a time of trauma, sending his mind for a spin. We can already see that Steve is transitioning back to reality because he is clenching onto his safety blanket.”

Danny looked back up at Joe. Danny was Steve’s safety blanket, and Steve was becoming Danny’s, though the darkness Danny faced was less extreme compared to Steve’s.

“Joe, how do you know so much about this? Don’t get me wrong I appreciate everything, but don’t you just run the gym?”

Joe chuckled.

“Danny there is so much to me than the gym. Danny, I was attached to the special forces, but I felt my specific skill set could be better used to help others away from the frontline. Trust me Steve is far from messed up compared to the things that I’ve seen.”

“You were a SEAL?” Joe nodded.

The group fell into silence until Steve roused from his slumber.

Steve went rigged when he identified a new presence near him.

“Joe?”

“Well hello to you to Son. How are you feeling?”

“Healthy as a horse Sir.”

Joe’s brows furrowed.

“Steve, remember what I said in the gym, honesty is the only way I can know how to help you. How are you really?”

“Uh, I’m really feeling better, I just got thrown for a bit. Sorry for the concern, I’m fine really.”

Steve knew that wasn’t the truth and if Steve knew that so did Joe.

Steve slowly rose from the ground and walked over to where the asphalt met the sand. He removed his shoes before continuing to reach the water's edge. Danny moved so that he was standing but leaning against the hood of his car watching over Steve. Joe was the next to move.

Danny watched as Joe followed in Steve’s footsteps, but Danny stayed put, giving them some distance to talk. Danny pulled his phone from his pocket to see no new messages, at least there was no abuse today. Probably because James was in the hospital. Danny chuckled to himself. Before Danny shoved the phone back in his pocket, he shot off a new message to his father.

“You need to talk to Mattie about today.”

 

**SPOV**

Steve allowed himself to become lost in the waves crashing against the sand. The sound of the ocean swept him into his palace, safety. Steve took no notice of Joe’s arrival at the shore he continued to gaze out to sea. Steve had so many memories linked to this body of water.

When Steve was younger, his family home rested on the coastline of Oahu, pure paradise. Every day after school he would run in the front door and out another, crossing the lanai and into the ocean. The ocean had basically raised him.

Steve could remember the moment that Doris had taught him to float out on the calm water behind the breakers. Steve laid back in the water with Doris’s hand supporting his back. One moment her hand was there the next it was gone, and Steve was just there, staring up at the sky, watching as the clouds fought against the blue of the abyss. That had become Steve and Doris’s thing, they would float out on the water just looking at the sky, never saying a word.

The day of the news Steve had run out into the ocean and flung himself onto his back,  but he couldn’t manage to get his body to sit on top of the water. His anger got the better of him, and he began to scream at the water. Steve had looked back to land hoping to see Doris standing there, about to enter the water to guide him onto his back as she had done when Steve was just a child. She wasn’t there, but John was there. Steve hoped that John would comfort him in his moment of distress, but John turned his back to Steve and walked back inside. John tainted the ocean for Steve.

Steve brought himself back to his reality, picking up a rock that had washed up with the waves. He flipped the rock over in his hand before throwing it as far as he could into to the ocean. He looked over his shoulder at Joe expecting the older man to have some wise advice to convince Steve that things were going to get better, but he just handed Steve another rock.

They continued like this until they had cleared their area of the beach of rocks and the sun had begun to dip below the horizon. He looked back toward the cars and expected Danny to be gone like everyone in his life, but there he was, lent against the hood of his car staring back at him. Danny waved at him, Steve smiled back.

The darkness began to creep back into Steve’s consciousness. ‘Are you willing to wreck Danny for your own happiness? Look at everyone who was good in your life, where are they now?’ Steve tried to shake away the voice as he continued his approach back to the carpark, but the thoughts continued to multiply and get louder.

**DPOV**

Steve and Joe reached the carpark, they attempted to dust the sand from their feet before showing their feet back into their respective shoes. Joe gave Steve a rather manly hug before reminding him that the gym was still open to him and that his counselor was expecting an appointment.

 The teens got into the car, remaining silent. Danny peered over at Steve, shooting him a toothy smile before starting the car and pulling out of the carpark.

Danny pulled into the driveway and turned the car off. He turned to Steve and grabbing his hand.

“Steve, what happened today was not your fault, I need you to know that. We will get past this, you will beat this.”

Steve pulled his hand from Danny’s grasp and climbed out of the car.

Danny couldn’t help but feel like Steve was pulling away from him, and their relationship. Anny understood that today was a shit day and Steve was still reeling from it, but Steve couldn’t even look Danny in the eyes.

Danny sat in the car for a minute longer before climbing out of the car and making his way inside.

As Danny breached the foyer the scene that had unfolded inside was not what he had expected to be welcomed by.

There was no smell of freshly cooked food, there was no family gathered around the table. The air was instead filled with shouts and screams. Danny ventured further into the house trying to unravel what the hell was going on.

 Matt was stood at the base of the stairs yelling in the direction of his parents.

“How can you expect me to defend him when he is a murderer and a faggot. He is the scum of this earth, and he is living under the same roof as me, he can’t stay. It’s him or me, I’m not going to be a witness to this. He has made this family the laughing stock of the school, I got kicked off the football team because of him, you can’t choose him over me, I am your son.”

Danny didn’t hang around for Clara and Eddie’s retort at Matt’s statement. Danny pushed past Matt to make his way upstairs to find Steve. Danny made it to his room to see Steve packing his belongings into the boxes that Clara had gathered the other day. Danny knew that Steve was beginning the transition into the solo housing over the next couple of days, but it wasn’t meant to happen like this. It wasn’t meant to be triggered by Matt throwing a tantrum fuelled by the school stigma.

“Steve what are you doing?”

“Packing, what does it look like?” The attitude that carried that statement was something that Danny had never heard from Steve.

“Steve just stop for a second,” Steve kept packing. “Steve please just stop. Please.” Steve threw his last piece of clothing into the box.

“What do you want me to say? I am pulling your family apart, but everything is going to be alright… We both know that it's not. I’m fucked up, but I will not be a pet project. James was right in a way. You just need to fix me. Well, maybe I can’t be fixed, maybe I don’t want to be saved. I’m moving out tomorrow, I think that it’ll be best for everyone. Now can you just let me finish packing then I’ll be out your way.”

Danny didn’t know what to say. What had happened between the beach and this room. Sure, Steve might have been witness to Matt’s outburst, but that couldn’t have caused this.

Honestly, it had pissed Danny off. He had opened his heart to Steve and offered to face the world with him, but Steve was currently throwing it back in his face, and it hurt.

“Steve, that’s not it at all, and deep down you know it.”

“Danny, save it. This was going to happen anyway, there is no point postponing it any longer.” Steve gathered his measly two boxes of possessions and walked from the room. Danny didn’t try to stop him.

Danny slammed the door and threw himself onto his bed, tears burning down his cheeks. How had everything gone so wrong?

 


	11. The lighthouse in the storm

The morning Steve walked out of the house he had disappeared from Danny’s life. Sure, Steve was there at school but the two of them repelled each other, managing to avoid each other at all costs.

Danny had called in a favour in all his classes to change his seat, so he was no longer beside Steve. Danny knew that Steve was in a place that he couldn’t even begin to comprehend, but that didn’t mean that Danny couldn’t’ve helped. He just wanted to be there for him. The very second Steve slammed the door in his face Danny had decided that he wasn’t going to appear in Steve’s life unless he came and asked. Danny was done putting himself on the line to only have his heart stomped into the dirt.  
Danny had managed to repair his friendships with a few of his decent friends, but he refused to go back to the baseball jocks. He may not be with Steve anymore but that didn’t mean that he wanted to associate with the biggotted imbeciles of the world.

Though he had found a new group of people who looked like friends, Danny felt like he was missing something. Steve. In the average school day, there were three times Danny couldn’t avoid seeing the teen. Chemistry, homeroom and home time. Though Steve was also attempting to avoid Danny there was no way they could miss each other unless one of them transferred out. Each time Danny saw Steve he couldn’t help the hopeful gleam that tainted his eyes. He hoped that soon Steve would come to his senses and recognise that they had both been stupid about something that was a misunderstanding. At this point, it had been two weeks, but Danny tried to hold onto the hope that Steve would come back. He dreamt of the day that Steve was back at his side.

SPOV

Two weeks hadn’t been enough time for Steve to get used to his bed now being empty. The warmth he had grown accustomed to was a guiding light for him to fight. Steve felt like he was a ship lost in the dark and his lighthouse had gone dark. He tried to bury himself into anything that would distract him. He had tried to waste away his emotions in his lessons with Joe and his everyday exercise, but every time Steve managed to sweep it all out of his focus somebody asked him how he was and brought his walls crumbling into the ocean. Could they not see that he was trying to build a dam and they were just knocking his bricks down like that waves do a sand castle at high tide.  
Steve was made to attend his counselling sessions with a psychologist, but Steve didn’t want to taint her with his issues, so he never really wanted to open to her. Joe was someone who Steve opened to a bit more, but Joe was treating him like a soldier who had lost a leg, Steve didn’t want to be damaged. He wasn’t injured he simply had nightmares and probably some trust issues, he didn’t need anyone to point that out to him. He didn’t need their sympathy.

Each time Joe halted one of their sessions to talk about feelings Steve felt an uncontrollable fire start in his belly. He didn’t want to be this person anymore, how had his life eroded so badly? That was a question that his psychologist was attempting to answer for him.

“Steve, I know life has dealt you some pretty dodgy cards, but it is up to you to build a house out of them. You now get to chose what your picture looks like.”

For fuck sakes Steve knew that this guy was rather thick, but how did he think an analogy was going to heal everything. Why was there not a band-aid for this, if you cut yourself you whack a plaster on it and it’s all good. Steve just wanted his issues to be as simple. If one more person told him that it was going to take time, he was going to jump from a tall building.

Being in a house on his own wasn’t the worst though, he enjoyed having freedom and independence that he had never had before. Marnie dropped in every other day to check that Steve had everything that he needed and made sure he wasn’t getting into any trouble. The day he moved in he had been told that if he caused any trouble related to violence, drugs or pregnancies he would be out. He was reminded that this was the last helping hand he was going to get before he was going to be out on the streets. 

The downside to being home alone related back around to the coldness of the sheets beside him. T there was nobody there to fight away the shadows that infiltrated the darkness. The shadows that Danny had seemed to frighten away. The simple act of thinking that name frosted over Steve’s chest.

Steve was aware of the fact that any had changed his seating in all their shared classes to be as far away from him as possible. In a way that supplied Steve with some comfort. If Danny wasn’t around him he was safe from the tsunami that removed everyone from his life. If loneliness was a price Steve had to pay to protect Danny from his life, it was worth it.

Steve stuck into his studies. School work had been a distraction for his brain. Exercise and music carried him a fair way but Steve wanted to make something of himself and school was going to be a stepping stone to that, unfortunately, the school population still had a bone to pick with him.

James made it his life's mission to have a new speech prepared for Steve each day. For the first-week steve simply pointed out the plaster and bruises that still marred James’s face and the chuckle from his brainless disciples was usually enough to make him move on for the day. The day the bruises healed it was like James had a point to prove. His ego swelled and now that Steve was attempting to stick to the straight and narrow he refused to push back. Physically. If there was one thing Danny had taught him in the short time that they were together, was how to use words. These daily encounters usually resulted in James losing his temper and the disciples having to drag away their leader.

It was one particular day that James had ripped Steve’s books from his arms that Steve had spotted Danny watching on. Steve had become distracted and wasn’t prepared for James’s shove. Steve lost his balance and landed on his ass. The next thing he knew was Danny pushing through the laughing crowd, offering him a hand up. The lighthouse flickered in the stormy darkness.

Steve turned away from the hand and collected his belongings from the concrete and walked away. If Steve had accepted that hand he was just going to drag Danny back down with him. That was the first time that Steve had ever stood down from James, that meant that James now had the upper ground. Fucking Danny.  
The storm roared in Steve and the lighthouse went dark again. The bell sounded marking the return to classes for the students. Steve managed to make it to his locker and to his seat before the start of the lesson.

Steve’s mind couldn’t focus on the lesson for the first time in two weeks, he was acutely aware of Danny’s presence at the front of the classroom. Oh, how Steve desired to reach out and hold the teen or just say something. Explain himself, but that would bring Danny back down. He needed to encourage Danny to stay away, to not offer him anymore hands.

Steve scribbled down a note that he thought would be enough to get his point across. He didn’t want to hurt Danny, but he had to keep him safe.

The bell sounded once again marking the end of the school day. Steve leapt from his seat and on his way to the door he slipped the note into Danny’s hand. Danny looked up to him and the smile that covered Danny’s face soared upon their touch. Quickly Steve turned away and continued his way out of the room in the hope he could avoid the hurricane that would be Daniel Williams once he read the note.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently I suck at this and can't manage to upload consistently to save my life. I AM SO SORRY! I have no excuses for this...


	12. Broken pieces of a boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of the note.

Clara had just come home from dropping the girls at a friends house after school for a sleepover. Tomorrow the girls had an overnight trip to Washington and their friends mum had volunteered to do the early morning drop off. Clara didn’t fate that idea since she needed a chance to sort her family out. She had convinced Eddie to get tonight off so they could talk to the boys. 

Mat had continued to push away and Danny had shut down. She didn’t regret bringing Steve into this house, only the way things had gone. As a family, they had agreed to allow Steve to stay in the house before they even suggested it at the hospital, but as soon as it became a reality Matt had kicked up a fuss. Clara had raised her boy better than that. As for Danny, well he was suffering from a broken heart and was struggling to let go. Eddie tried to refrain from bringing the Steve topic up outside of closed doors and away from prying ears, but Clara could tell that Danny hurt when Eddie came home after seeing Steve, no matter how brief the visit really was.

She walked in the door to be shocked by a broken, watery scream, as a door upstairs slammed. She knew that Danny had to be the source as Matt would be on the school bus and Eddie was still at work. She took the stairs two at a time until she reached the landing in front of Danny’s room. A piece of paper sat on the floor, by the bottom of the door. Clara picked it up glancing over the callous words. Her breath was robbed from her as she reached the final pieces of ink that robbed the paper of its whiteness. She couldn’t believe that Steve had written this let alone meant a single word of it.

She raised he had to knock on the door but was halted by the brash sound of things smashing behind the door. Clara lowered her self to the ground, resting against the wall beside the door, allowing Danny to ride out his emotions. Clara knew that there was no way that she was going to reach Danny before he was ready, no matter how much she wanted to take the hurt from him.

Clara heard the front door shut. In her mind she believes that it was Steve rushing back to apologise, but when she saw Eddie reach the top of the stairs her heart sunk. Eddie looked at her confused as another smash sounded from the bedroom of the distraught teenager. She reached out to place the note in Eddie’s hand. He glanced down at the note, again, with confusion. Clara said nothing but hinted back toward the note. 

Eddie examined the piece of paper. His expression turned natural. In the classic Williams way, Eddie drew his hand through his hair, smoothing it back against his scalp. He seemed to be debating something. As Eddie seemed to be about to action something ta deafening bang resounded through the house. It had to be Danny’s heft oak bookcase. Eddie sprung toward the door, finding that the door had been locked. Since when did the door have a lock?

“Danny! Danny, please open the door. Son?” The worst case scenarios began to taint Eddie’s judgement. 

“Danny, if you can hear me step away from the door.” That was the only warning anyone got before Eddie brought his foot down of the door, splintering the door around the lock.  
Clara was still sat on the ground in shock.

The room was a mess, glass and belongings were scattered across the carpet, and the fallen bookcase lay across the ground. Danny’s trophies were smashed to pieces on the floor drawing Eddie’s eyes to the sobbing boy among the carnage.

Danny sat curled up against the upturned bookcase, with a piece of paper clutched to his chest. Eddie dropped to the ground beside his son and wrapped an arm around him pulling him against his chest. Danny tried to fight off his dads hold, but Eddie just held him through the struggle. The tears cascaded down Danny’s face; he just couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Shhh Danny you’re ok, you’re going to be ok.” They just sat there letting Danny cry into his shoulder.

Clara had pulled herself off the ground and now stood in the doorway observing the scene in front of her. Tears clouded her vision, she hated seeing her baby boy hurting. 

Unbeknownst to the occupants upstairs, Matt had arrived home to hear the tail end of what had gone on upstairs. He crept up the stairs to find the chaos that was his family. He saw a piece of paper, discarded upon the ground. He picked it up, read it then pocketed it. Steve was not going to get away with this anymore. Down the stairs and out the front door Matt went.


	13. My brother's keeper

As soon as Steve had returned home he had shucked off his clothes in exchange for his sports gear. He ran out the door with the intent of getting rid of this feeling of guilt that had settled in the pit of his stomach. What he had just done to Danny, didn’t make him feel good, but this wasn’t about him. 

Steve plugged his ears with his earphones and blasted music to drown out his thoughts and out the door, he went. Steve allowed his feet to carry him down the pavement, weaving down streets. Steve focused upon the way in which his feet met the concrete below and tried to match his rhythm with the tempo of the music. Before he knew Steve had lost track of where he was and decided to turn around and head home to wait for Joe to pick him up for a night session.

As Steve began to tear down the street toward his home a familiar car pulled up to the curb. Steve couldn’t quite place who it was. As Steve got closer he saw a large group of people exit the vehicle. It was the baseball imbeciles holding baseball bats. Just Steve’s luck.

Steve’s pace came to a halt as the jocks created a block in front of him, stopping Steve from going any further. Steve pulled his earphones out and braced himself for what was to come.

“How can help you, gentlemen?” Steve asked, seeing if there was any chance that he could prevent the future events.

“Yeah Fag, you can. Disappear and what’s about to happen won’t happen. Leave Jersey and you’ll be able to walk tomorrow. No phone calls and definitely no notes. You got it?” The person who had stepped forward wasn’t who Steve was expecting. It was the younger Williams. Matt.

“Matt you know I can’t do that, you know exactly why I am here.”

“I don’t care if you’ll be on the streets, you’ve ruined enough lives around here, you’ve hurt enough people. I’m not going to let you use anyone like you did Danny, no matter what I have to do.” Steve took a step back at the mention of Danny and the anger in the younger Williams eyes.

“Matt, I didn’t mean to use him. I…I….”

Matt didn’t let Steve finish and interjected with a solid right hook. Steve had seen it coming but he allowed the punch to land. He deserved it.

The young Williams got ready up to land a succession of punches and the baseball team stepped forward to back the boy up. Steve wasn’t prepared to face all these people, there was no way he was going to walk away from this.

Just as Steve raised his arm to block the flurry of hits that were imminent, the sound of tires screeching filled the air. The crowd fled except for Matt, he still stood in front of Steve with his fist drawn back.

Steve dropped his hands as soon as he observed the tears that were flowing down the boy's cheeks.

“Matt, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for any of this…”

Steve was cut off yet again by the young Williams, who let out a watery scream, and a knife appeared in the young man's hand.

Matt was grabbed by Joe who pulled the young man a few steps back, disarming the boy.

“Now, what in the hell is going on here?” Both boys stayed silent. “I don't care if you stay silent, you both know I will find out one way or another, and you know that’s not going to end well.” Steve shrugged past the pair. He wasn’t going to explain and if the police were going to be called Steve may as well get his bags packed and prepare to live on the streets.

He could barely make two weeks before wrecking it all. Fuck his life.

“Where do you reckon you are going, Steven? Both of you are gonna get in the car. I'm gonna drop Matt home, talk to his father then there is somewhere I want to take you.”

Nobody moved.

“ Did I stutter, get your arses in that car!”

Steve called that voice Joe’s SEAL commander voice, it could make anyone do anything.

Both boys moved toward the car. Steve finally realised that not a single one of the baseball jocks were to be seen yet their car was still parked on the curb, doors wide open. Idiots.

Steve settled into the front seat of the car, buckled his seat belt and awaited the others to get in. Matt was the next one in the car. Matt got in the back, gave Steve a look and then dedicated his focus to glaring out the window. The tears on his cheeks had dried.

Steve turned his focus from Matt to Joe, where had he got to? Steve looked over to the abandoned car to find Joe closing all the doors and retrieving the keys out of the ignition. Joe locked the car then pocketed the keys, Steve felt the urge to chuckle but thought otherwise, maybe that wasn’t the best idea. Joe got in the car and didn’t say a word.

They started the drive toward the one place Steve didn’t want to be. As they turned onto the all to the familiar street the butterflies began to kamikaze into the walls of Steve’s stomach. Would he see Danny?

Joe pulled the car to a stop against the curb in front of the two-story house, that Steve never thought he was going to see again. The butterflies stopped as he saw a tuft of blonde hair at the window on the second story. Danny.

Two doors closing drew Steve’s attention back to his current predicament. Eddie had walked out the door to greet Joe and Matt at the bottom of the steps of the front veranda. Eddie grabbed Matt by the shoulder and roughly pulled him to his side and then shoved him through the open door. Eddie reached out to shake Joe’s hand but Joe simply dropped the knife and car keys into the aging man’s hand and turned his back and walked back to the car. Steve couldn’t let this be how things ended between himself and the Williams family, he doubted that Eddie would want to see him again after today.

Steve unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed from his constraint.

“I didn’t mean to hurt him” Steve pleaded.

“Steve get back in the car” Joe commanded.

“Eddie, please tell him I’m sorry, I’m not good for him, he has to know that. I’m doing this for him.” Eddie didn’t allow any emotion to break through leaving Steve with no indication of whether his words had landed.

As Joe reached his side of the car Steve plopped himself back into the seat, dropping his head into his hands. Joe started the car and indicated to leave the curb. Steve gave a final look up to the window to see that the blonde had disappeared. Steve’s heart faulted. He knew his outburst had been selfish


	14. Spotted vicion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan to have another chapter up later this evening so please stay tuned and enjoy. Love you all Xx

 

His tears had run dry, and his chest was no longer tight. In all honesty, he felt empty. How dare he call him ‘ a lifeline that he could abuse’. Danny knew that Steve was damaged, but he didn’t realise how truly mental that guy was. Danny thought that he was falling for Steve, but now he felt like an idiot, Steve was just using him and his family to get out of the hole he was in.

The more Danny thought about it the more it hurt, but the more he also didn’t believe a single word on that piece of paper. He didn’t want to believe that he had been such a sucker to fall for an act?

The sick part of Danny didn’t blame Steve for doing what he did. This kid had lost his mother figure and been abused by not only one but two father figures and rejected by a third. Danny didn’t blame him for grabbing onto the first way out.

Eddie had helped Danny stand his bookcase back up against the wall, but the rest of the clean up was left to him. Clara brought up the vacuum and some trash bags for him to sort all the damage into. Danny started by cleaning up the broken glass from his lil’ league awards. Next to be trashed were the pieces of his trophies that were irreparable. Once all the sharp items were trashed Danny began to restack all his books and photos back onto their shelves.

The last thing Danny did was reconfigure his bed into a usable area. Danny had barely slept in his bed since Steve had left, the floor had fulfilled his needs. He didn’t like the way his bed felt alone.

Danny settled into the chair by the window with a mangled piece of paper held to his chest. Danny’s throat began to feel tight as he looked down at the piece of paper. Danny’s eyes traced the lines that made up the image, Steve really had captured his likeness in this mass of grey led on paper. The next thing he focused upon was where the tattered edges of the paper revealed the abuse this piece of paper had suffered. Danny had to take his focus from the memory, so he turned his attention to the street below.

Fuck, Danny couldn’t catch a break.

His heart ached to run from the house and embrace the body in the car that was Steve. Their eyes met and Danny turned away. He couldn’t move, was he having a panic attack? He lost his capability to draw oxygen into his lungs. Danny tried to mimic how Steve had breathed into his hands but it wasn’t working. Spots began to dance on the edges of his vision.

Danny slipped from the seat and onto his knees. Somebody help him!

Tears pricked in the corner of Danny’s eyes as he wildly searched around his room. Nothing and no one was there for him.

The dark spots in his vision expanded and claimed his consciousness.

As Danny’s body slackened Matt stomped up the stairs and by chance spotted Danny’s form on the ground as he passed by the door.

“Mum!” Mat shouted as he ran to his brother's side. He rolled his brother onto his side hoping that his brother would laugh in his face and yell about how he had pranked him. Danny didn’t.

 Clara finally reached the room with Eddie trailing behind. Clara ran to her son's aid while Eddie pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled 911.

It was mere minutes before the blue and red lights filtered in the window, and only seconds after that before the EMTs were in the room.

As an oxygen mask was placed on Danny’s face he began to come to, confusion flooding his face.

“Mum? What’s going on, who’s hurt?”

Clara clamped onto her son’s hand. “Danny you were unconscious, the EMTs are here to take you to the hospital.”

Danny knew one thing, he wasn’t going to the freaking hospital. He didn’t need to, he had a panic attack and the ambulance being here was a waste of resources.

“I'm not going to the hospital,” Danny stated.

“Danny we need to find out what happened, everything will be okay,” Clara tried to reassure the teen, but the only managed to erk Danny some more.

“I had a fucking panic attack I don’t need and damn ambulance! Get all this crap off of me and leave me alone.” Everyone in the room froze.

“ Daniel…” Danny cut her off by ripping the mask from his facing and yanking his body from the ground.

By this point the EMTs gave the speech to his parents about signing the refusing medical treatment form and before long Danny was left alone to stew in silence once again.

Half an hour had passed before there was a knock at the door. As the door was still broken Danny had no way of stopping the person from entering. The door swung open to reveal the form of his father.

“Danny, we need to talk about what happened.” Eddie moved into the room to take a seat in the chair by the window that Danny had collapsed out of earlier. “ You said you had a panic attack?”

Danny shrugged in response.

“Danny, what triggered it, do you remember?”

Danny looked down at his hands in his lap and began to fiddle with the flap of skin that was peeling on his right thumb.

“I saw Steve sitting in Joe’s car, and everything just erupted to the surface again, how could he do this to me?” Danny rubbed his fists into his eyes, he was so sick of crying.

“Danny I’m not going to defend Steve or what he has done, but I think in his own way he thinks he is protecting you, he said as much when he got out of the car. I don’t understand how he thinks that but I think there is more to be learned from this situation. As for the panic attack, have you ever had one before?”

Danny shook his head, “I tried to do that hand thing but it didn’t work..”

Eddie and Danny discussed other methods of controlling his attacks if it ever happened again.

Soon the father-son moment came to an end by Clara calling the family to dinner. The two Williams men walked do the stairs side by side and took their seats at the table.

“Do you want me to go get Matt?” Danny asked after noticing his younger siblings absence at the dinner table.

“He is grounded and has decided to go without dinner tonight.” Danny looked at his father confused.

“Danny we need to talk to you about why Steve and Joe were here to drop Matt off.”

Could there be anything good about today?


	15. Objective recognised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like we haven't had a feel-good chapter for a while, so please enjoy before we get back to our regularly scheduled program.

Steve and Joe pulled into a parking lot that Steve couldn’t identify, he just followed Joe’s lead when he got out of the car.  Steve shucked on a jacket from the backseat and followed Joe up to the front door of a military looking building. The inside of the building differed vastly from the outside.

Inside the building, modern influences flared as a front desk came into sight.

“Joe this better not be some therapy ploy again” Steve uttered.

“Son, not everything is out to get you, relax,” Joe snarkily replied.

Joe turned his attention back to the front desk.

“Hey Hayley, how are you doing? I brought a friend to see the guys today.”

“Hey Joe, I'm good. I just need you both to sign here and put on the visitor badges and you can go right on through.” The two guys signed their names on the dotted line and Joe guided him through a door.

The room Steve walked into was not what he was expecting. The room had a small gym in one corner and what could be described as massage tables lined another wall. The rest of the room was filled with tables, couches and recreation equipment. The next thing that shocked Steve were the occupants of the room. The men and women in the room were missing different variations of limbs or were occupants of wheelchairs. These people were obviously service men and woman.

Steve’s jaw dropped and he halted as he stepped in the room. The people in this room impressed him.

Before shit had hit the fan in Hawaii John had taken Steve to the Arizona memorial where Johns father had sacrificed his life during Pearl Harbour. Since that moment Steve had been enthused by history and a lot of the war history, in particular, had inspired him toward wanting to serve.

Joe had disappeared from Steve’s side to shake the hand of a man who was sat upon one of the benches. Steve couldn’t help but stare at the metal that took the place of where a leg should be.

The man saluted Joe before accepting his hand. Joe looked back over his shoulder toward Steve and waved him over.

“Steve, I would like you to meet Cooper, but most people call him Hawk. Hawk was one of the first BUD classes that I ushered through.”

Steve offered his had. “It’s nice to meet you, sir, I thank you for your service.” Hawk blushed.

“Naw what a sweetie,” One of the women on the bench across gushed.

“Nice to meet you to Steve, ignore Carol over there she likes to get under peoples skin anyway she can.”

Steve spent the next couple of hours moving around the room getting to know these people and quite quickly he began to build a repour with many of them and they seemed to bond over the trauma, though the source was very different.  At first, Steve tried to claim that what he had experienced was very little in comparison, he was quickly convinced otherwise. The men and women in this room had made a decision to join the defence force well aware of the risks. Steve was born into this world without a choice and what he had face was majorly more damaging. The connection Steve had made had cleared his head and rearranged his thinking. Today had also given him a goal. Something that he hadn’t had in a long time.

The time came where Joe had said it was home time. Steve waved goodbye and vowed to be back soon.

Steve and Joe situated themselves back in the car and Steve had a smile on his face.

“Feeling better?” Joe asked. Steve nodded. “They always make you see the brighter side of things. They have faced absolute horrors yet they are able to see and upside to almost anything most of the time.”

The car ride back was uneventful and filled with a comfortable silence. As Joe pulled up to the curb Steve noticed that the Baseball Jocks car was being towed and there was nobody to be seen otherwise.

“Thanks for this afternoon Joe, it really helped me see quite a few things differently. Just a heads up though, one day I’m gonna be one of those scary-ass sons of bitches with the cute name.” Joe smirked.

“You mean a SEAL?” Joe queried.

“Yeah that, then the world should watch out. “

Steve went inside and began his mundane household chores like cooking dinner and starting a load of washing. Tomorrow was the weekend and he had to figure a way to at least go back to being amicable with Danny.

Just a handful of hours earlier Steve was convinced that he was helping and protecting Danny, but now he saw how backwards his thinking was. Hopefully, he hadn’t broken things too badly.


	16. Clarity

“What do you mean he went after Steve with the baseball team?” Danny yelled across the table at his parents, as if today couldn’t get worse. “I know Matt, and he isn’t the kind of kid to do that no matter what bullshit somebody is feeding him. I know things between Steve and me fell apart but I don’t see that as a reason for him to go after Steve let alone draw a knife on him!”

Danny was quickly running out of steam and concern for his kid brother was taking over. Something had to be going on with Matt.

“Danny, Joe stopped anything from really happening, but there have to be consequences for his action he has taken. Today could’ve ended very differently. For Mathews motivations, I feel like that blasted note had something to do with it. I want that note trashed before it causes any more harm. It’s your decision on how to approach Steve from now on but you need to do it without tainted vision. That note was obviously written in haste.”

As soon as the parental rant ended Danny stood from his seat. “Today has been a long day, I think I might just get to bed. State tryouts are on Sunday and I want to get some practice in tomorrow. Night.”

The parents of the Williams tribe looked shocked, they were expecting more of a rant on Daniel’s behalf.

Danny made his way up the stairs and bypassed his bedroom door and travelled further across the landing to stand in front of Matt’s door.

“Matty, you up?” Danny called as he knocked lightly of the door.

The door opened to reveal Matt standing, fully clothed, eyes red.

“Danny I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” Matt continued to fall apart as he embraced his blonde brother.

“Hush Matty, I think we need to talk, no more bullshit.” Danny broke the embrace and moved past his brother, entering the room. Matt closed the door and moved to take a seat on the end of his bed as Danny dragged the chair at Matt’s desk over to sit in front of him.

“Matt tell me what’s going on, you haven’t been yourself for ages. What’s going on little brother?”  
Matt’s defences crumbled.

“Danny I fucked up. Bigtime. This girl I like is a cheerleader and I thought by getting in with the football guys that I could get the chance to talk to her. We have a few classes together but I’m not her kind of guy. So I went to this party and, you know how it goes, somebody offered me something to help me talk to her. Let’s just say the night didn’t go to plan and now she will never talk to me again. But now I can’t stop Danny, please help me.”

Danny paused to think about it.

“Matty, are you doing drugs?”

Matt nodded.

“Matt, why didn’t you talk to me sooner? You know that I’ll always be here for you.” Matt dropped his head into his hands.

“I’m so ashamed, and dad will kill me if he finds out. When I meet Steve at the hospital and I saw how the two of you interacted I was so jealous, why couldn’t I have that? I'm so sorry, I acted like a complete dick and I let the Jocks get into my head. Today after I read that note I saw red. You always protected me and I thought it was my turn. That time cousin Jimmy stole my bike I saw you drive him away and you were my hero, I wanted to be that for you today. Obviously, things didn’t go as planned, jerk face is still around.”

Danny could see the rage building back up in Matt’s features as he pulled his head from his hands.

“Matt do you have a stash around here?”

Matt pointed toward his sock drawer. Danny stood up and pulled the drawer open. Danny pocketed the baggie of pills and turned back to Matt.

“Anytime you feel like you can’t deal and this is your solution come and see me. If things get worse though I'm going to dad. This is serious Matty, you can’t keep going like this.”

Danny sat down beside Matt and wrapped his arms around the younger man. “I love you, Matty.”

“Love you, Danny.”

Once the boys separated Danny moved toward the door. Just before Danny left the room he turned back to face his brother.

“One way you can earn my forgiveness for being a dick is you can come down to the field with me tomorrow and help me practice for tryouts.”

“Anything. Thanks, Danny, I’ll try not to let you down.”

Danny walked out of the room closing the door behind him.

As soon as Danny was safely in his room he let a sigh escape from deep within. What a day.

Danny walked over to his dresser to deposit the baggie of pills from his pocket into a sock with his small stash of weed. Danny then got ready for bed.

Once Danny was settled into bed his thoughts continued to race.

If Steve cam crawling back and told him it was all just a rouse, could Danny forgive him? Danny couldn’t answer that.

Did Danny still have feelings for Steve? Of course, he did.

Did Danny believe what his father said over a letter that was written by Steve himself? Another unanswerable question, but Danny refused to believe that letter until he heard the words himself. Danny was the kind of person who had to see it too believe it.

For this weekend though Danny had to focus on states. After dropping himself from the school team in the last couple of weeks, Danny had been offered a spot on the New Jersey squad to compete in the interstate league. That was huge and could possibly carry him into college since there was no way his grades could achieve that.

No pressure Williams, but it is all on you.

That night Danny dreamed of nothing but his name being printed on the back of a Baseball Jersey.


	17. Fresh air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reread the original chapter and I hated it. It seemed half arsed and broke the flow of the story. I have rewritten the chapter and I believe you will enjoy this much more. I'm working on the next chapters, but I think this is a much better set up for the future of this work. Thank you for hanging in there.

Summer season dawned before anyone really had expected it to. Danny made it to the state team, helped Matty kick his drug addiction without parental concern and managed to avoid Steve at every turn. Things were looking up for the first time in a while, Danny had been allowed to breathe. Being back on the baseball field was like coming up for fresh air. Being on the team also meant that he had an influx of new friends.

James had shown up to tryouts but had been dropped in the first round for being arrogant. Who would’ve thought… Danny had been awarded shortstop in fielding and Danny felt like things were back on track. Danny was more than aware that he was scraping by with his grades, and when he dropped out of the school team he watched his college hopes go down the drain. This state team was his lifeline back to his old life, giving the ability to rehab his own heart.

Training had been going fantastic for the team, the team gelled so well and could seem to read each other in a way where they felt unbeatable. During training, they had played a bit of a practice match against some of the local teams and they had no issues trumping them. Danny could taste gold in his future. Other than the gold the other need to impress was the selectors that would be coming to see the games, though this supplied no more pressure than usual for Danny, he knew he was worth their time. He could see his name in lights.

As for Steve, he had continued to excel in his classes. Steve had managed to claim the highest score average for his year level. Another positive was that Steve had been approached by the school's football coach. James had tried to dirty Steve’s name by plastering the lockers with photos of a younger Steve on his team back in Hawaii. Little did James know, Steve was the Quarterback for his team which was an age bracket above what he was supposed to be in. The school coach had got in contact with his coach from Oahu and invited Steve to the team tryouts. Though Steve didn’t get along with many of the team members off the field, once they stepped onto the turf they all had each other's backs. Steve had missed comradery like this, maybe he just missed the simple human interaction that wasn’t forced by the state…

Outside of school, Steve had made leaps and bounds with his new psychologist. Lucas, who was Steve’s first psychologist had left the practice and Martha had replaced him. The day Steve stepped into her office things had felt different, the atmosphere felt right for the first time in a shrink's office. Martha had allowed Steve to tell his story the way he wanted but knew when to push him. They spoke about everything that Steve had tried to bottle away. In a short few months they had covered; Doris, John, being in the system, the Burkes, George, his sexuality, insecurities and last but not least Danny. Martha told him upfront that Steve had been an idiot for pushing Danny away, but he had not been in a healthy frame of mind and Steve had to fix himself, then he could show Danny the truth.

Danny…. Steve missed him so much. Danny had become a ghost that Steve sometimes saw on the school grounds. Yes, it’s true that they shared many classes but no interaction ever occurred between them. Steve tried to give Danny a welcoming smile, but Danny usually turned away. The rejection iced over Steve’s heart, but Steve would not give up, even if they were only ever friends and nothing more, Steve just wanted Danny back at his side.

Martha encouraged Steve to pursue everything that made him happy, that’s why football had made its way back into his life. Steve had also continued his sessions with Joe, though at this point their sessions were more about conditioning Steve for the military than anger management and grief counselling. Steve saw it as progress.

The day Doris died Steve felt like somebody had slammed the breaks on his life and any an all progress had ceased. Years had passed but between being bounced home to home, school to school, Steve felt like he had nothing to show for it. Steve was back to having a life. He may not have a tonne of trophies like Danny had, but he knew where he was heading and nobody was gonna stop him. Steve was going to be the best, even if it was just to prove to people like John, Rick, George and James that he was better than what they thought. When Steve reached his pinnacle he felt like those who had stood in his way would be ants under his boot.

With Summer on the doorstep, both boys felt that they had a new start and many new goals to hit.

Danny sat in front of his locker, took a deep breath in and then out with a smile plastered on his face.

Steve wiped the sweat from his brow, took a deep breath in and then out with a smile plastered on his face.

 


	18. Parties and Crutches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you hadn't noticed before reaching this chapter, I have rewritten Chapter 17, and to make up for the travesty that I called a chapter, I wrote a little extra in this chapter.  
> Be warned there is a small sexual scene part way through this chapter so please be wary if you don't wanna see it. There is also mentions of drug use and alcohol, as well as injuries, so also please be aware of that.  
> As usual, please enjoy and leave a comment at the end.

It was national finals, New Jersey versus the Ohio team.

Going into the ninth inning Ohio lead by a single run but the team had managed to hold them at that lead striking each of the batters out as they stepped up to the plate.

 Their last batsman stepped up and this was going to be the make or break for New Jersey’s chance to take a lead. This batsman was their best and Danny knew if he was given the chance he could easily make a home run, Danny wasn’t going to give him that chance.

The crowd fell into silence as the ball travelled toward the bat. Strike. The home crowd roared as the away side booed. Blood roared in Danny’s ears. The second pitch flew once again, straight past the batter. Last one and then they would be back in control. This was it.

The ball hovered in front of the batter as he brought the bat into contact with it. CRACK! The ball didn’t sail through the air as Danny expected. The ball dribbled across the turf at speed trying to break through between second and third base. This was all Danny’s. Danny threw himself across the ground, arm outstretched. He felt the ball on his fingertips. He had it. Danny Pulled the ball in and in a smooth movement he pulled himself from the dirt and sent the ball hurtling toward second base. Out. Holy shit. The team swarmed Danny as if he had just made the winning home run. They had yet to do that. The team took to the dugouts to ready for the changeover. The coach pulled them in and gave a speech that was worthy of one of those crummy movies.

Danny was second to last to bat. The designated batter filled the final position in their batting order, so Danny had time on his hands and it was killing him. Danny tried his best to focus, but there was a voice in the back of his head saying that something was going to go wrong. Danny beat that voice back as his teammates managed to fill the second and third base. Yes, if they managed to round the field they will have managed to secure the win.

The batter before Danny had struck out, so Danny was up. Fuck.

 Danny pulled his helmet on and picked his bat up and swung it up onto his shoulder. Danny had noticed the crowd earlier but now it felt like they were all watching him. Tens of thousands of people had turned up to see this match. ‘Breath Danny, just breath’ Danny thought to himself.

He stepped up to the plate, kicked away some dirt then took his stance. He narrowed his eyes past the pitcher and awaited the ball that he knew was about to come flying at him. Stike. Shit.

Danny was deafened by the blood in his ears and he zoned in on the pitcher once again.

The ball hurtled across the distance that seperated the pitcher and Danny.

The bat made contact and everything went into motion.

Danny sprinted for first base as the ball continued toward the boundary.

The crowd went nuts as the two that had loaded the bases sprinted for home. Danny was about to round second base as the ground became closer then it should be.

Danny hit the ground with a thud, and a dust cloud formed in the air around him. The crowd gasped collectively, drowning out Danny’s scream. The players around him haulted and turned their attention from the ball. Danny looked down to see an grotesque lump at the side of his knee. It felt like liquid fire was burning away the skin.

The medic was out on the field the quickly called for a stretcher. As Danny was carried from the field the stadium clapped and cheered. Danny peered over at the scoreboard and noticed his team mates had made it, they’d won. Danny lay his head back of the stretcher and let himself pass out from the pain.

 

Danny came to in the rooms as the stretcher beacme a bed. Next thing Danny knew his pants were being cut from his body. Lucky Danny had worn underwear this game…

Danny tried to sit up to get a glimpse at his knee but a hand appeared on his shoulder to hold him down on the bed. He followed the arm up to see his Dad looking down at him.

Danny had tried to convince his family that they didn’t need to be there but there was no way he was going to keep any of them away from the final game of the season. Danny had come down the stairs to find Matty painting the girls faces with the team coulours and his Dad and Mum putting the finishing touches on a banner, that Danny thinks he wasn’t suppose to see.

It was in this moment he was glad that his Dad was there.

Danny heard the medics conferring with eachother, before they proceeded to splint Danny’s knee and begin the icing procedure.

“Danny, and an ambulance is on it’s way to take you to the hospital, where you will need to get scans. From what we can see you’ve at least dislocated your knee cap, but there could be futher damage below the surface. Hang it there.”

Danny was so glad for the invention of the green whistle. A couple of drags of that and Danny was floating and had forgotten all about his knee. Soon the EMTs were there and Danny was being loaded into the ambulance.

As the doors were closing Danny saw his mums tear stained face and Matt’s dismay, the girls stood at their sides, tear tracks washing away the face paint. Danny looked to his father and he patted his shoulder.

“Things are gonna work out Danny, no matter what.”

 

**SPOV**

Steve had just finished a gym session and walked into the locker room when an arm wrapped around her shoulders.

“Mcgarret, the party is on tonight, you gonna stop being frigged and come out for once? Local team won today, lover boy should be there.” The sentence was ended with a suggestive eyebrow movement.

“Fuck off Jarrod. You know I have better things to do then party with you bafoons,” Steve said in jest.

“C’mon McGarrett I’m sure there is some other cock there that could tickle your fancy if Williams doesn’t do it for you anymore. Plus, I’ve got some stuff that could loosen up a donkey if you wanna have a better time.” Again Jarrod looked at Steve expectently.

Steve shoved him away forcing Jarrod’s arm from his shoulders. “How do you even pass the drug test and what gave you the idea that I would wanna join your stoner group,” Steve jested once again.

“Well the offer is open, enjoy your hand tonight.” With that Jarrod finally left Steve alone in the changerooms to shower and change.

Steve did in fact have plans tonight, him and Joe were gonna go and start his paperwork for the Navy tonight. Summer was nearly over and this year he was going to be a senior, now was the time to get it all started.

Matter of factly school started in just over a week, Steve was looking forward to at least getting a glimpse at Danny once again. Over the holidays Steve had only been able to speak to Eddie in passing. Aparently having half a population of rebelious teens on break made the police rather busy.

Steve finished packing and walked out to the car park.

Over the past months, Joe was convinced that it wass in his job requirements to teach Steve to drive, and make sure that he got his liscence. Luckily Steve got it on the first try otherwise he would’ve been bear crawling from Jersey to the Canadian border. So Steve threw his crap into his car, then threw himself into the drivers seat. As he pulled onto the main road, Steve’s phone rung.

“Hey Joe, I’m on my way to yours now.”

“Steve I need a raincheck on tonight something has come up, how about next weekend, dinner will be my treat as well.”

“Everything okay Joe?” Steve asked.

“It will be, I just need to go see a friend in the hospital.”

“It’s not Eddie or one of the guys is it?” Steve’s hands tightened on the wheel. He had come close friends with the guys at the rehab centre.

“Nah, it’ll be fine Steve, I’ll talk to you later son. Take care. Also, I hope you're using the blutooth, or you’ll be bear crawling to Canada if you survive.”

Steve ended the call, of course, he was using the blutooth, he wasn’t a fucking idiot. He knew how many people died on the roads each year. Joe had made him well aware of the statistics when he got his car.

So steve now had no plans and home looked like a pitiful excuse of a plan. It couldn’t hurt to experience at least one high school party. Plus he might get to see Danny.

 

Steve went home quickly changed before hitting Jarrod up for the address. Jarrod enthusicaly set Steve a parade of egg plant emojis. Steve almost giggled, fucking giggled, at that.

Steve pulled up to the curb about six hundred feet from the house, due to the business of the street. This party was way bigger than Steve had expected. Well, it was the state team so there was probably out of towners by the bucket load lining the halls of this house. Might be good for Steve to meet some new people. Make Danny jealous possibly…

Steve walked in the door to a few catcalls and wolf whistles from girls who had obviously already partook in alcohol maybe a little to much. Steve walked through, futher into the house and found the football team crudely gathered around what looked like an expensive dining table with a game of beer pong crudely set up on it. Alcohol was spilt everywhere. Ew.

“Yo, McGarrett, next round me and you.” It was Jarrod.

“I’m driving, so it’s a no this time.”

Jarrod actually whined.

“You never come out though, you gotta loosen up McGarret. No wonder Williams left you, you’re so fucking uptight. I thought you were cool.”

Steve wasn’t petty enough to fall for Jarrod’s taunts.

“I’m gonna go say hey to a few other people, maybe later Jarrod.”

Steve walked away ignoring Jarrod’s futher pleas.

As Steve walked futher into the house he felt more and more unwelcome. Physically he knew he looked like he fit in, but mentally he felt his maturity could walk circles around the bafoons, who seemed like they had only just discovered alcohol.

When Steve finally found the kitchen, he found a soda, which he investigated thoroughly before consuming. Steve sat at the kitchen bench debating his plan to leave after he finished his drink.

“Roaring party, huh?”

Steve turned around to identify the mystery voice. The face wasn’t familiar.

“I’m not really the party kind of guy apparently. You from around here?” Steve asked.

“Nah few suburbs over, more the reason to talk to the stranger sitting at the bench.”

Mystery guy sat down on the stool beside Steve.

“Jasper, and you are?”

“Steve.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Steve. What brings a ‘not the party kind of guy’ to what is obviously a party?”

“My plans bailed and this seemed like a good idea.”

“It seems like you are all mine tonight then. Can I get you a real drink then?” Steve declined and pointed out that he was driving.

“Responsible, handsome and has brains. You keep getting better and better. Well, can I at least entice you to dance?” Jasper offered his hand and Steve took it. It was only dancing.

The night carried on and Jasper and Steve continued to dance and chat, genuinely Steve was having a great time. The songs began to turn slow and all the couples pulled each other close. Steve rubbed his cheek against Jaspers, not expecting Jasper to turn his head. Their lips connected and it didn’t feel wrong.

“You wanna get some fresh air?” Jasper asked.

Steve nodded.

Jasper grabbed Steve’s hand tightly and dragged him towards the stairs. Next thing Steve was in an empty room and pushed onto a bed.

Clothes collected on the floor, and next thing Steve new his cock was buried in Jaspers throat. How had it taken him son long to experience this?

Time past and the two teens were left blissed out on a strangers bed. Luckily Jasper had had the fore thought to lock the door because a few others had tried to use the room.

“Im just gonna clean up,” Steve said as he strode buck naked toward the ensuite. Jasper ‘mmmed’ in acknowlegement. Steve walked into the bathroom to find someone passed out in the bathtub. Steve startled backwards when he realised that it was Mathew Williams in the bath.

“Matt?” Steve whispered. No response. Steve went about wiping himself down. He walked back into the room to find Jasper and his clothes gone and the door wide open. Fuck.

Steve pulled his own clothes on. He had been used, why did Steve think it was going to be anything else?

Steve walked back into the bathroom to check on the yough Williams once more, because Steve was definently heading home after this.

“Matt time to wake up.” After there was no response yet again, Steve grew concerned. “Yo Matty, mate open your eyes.” Steve guided his hand down onto Matt’s pulse point, his pulse was hammering against Steve’s fingers. Steve dropped his hand down to Matt’s sternum to try and ruse a response. Steve aggresively rubbed his knuckles up and down, and the pain was enough to startle the young Williams into consciouness.

Matt’s pupils were blown wide and his eyes tried to wildly locate the threat.

“Sht…Steeeeveee? BRuh, gud tu see yeh.” It was obvious Matt was on something, Steve had to get him out of here.

 Steve managed to wrestle Matt from the tub, slinging one of Matt’s arms of his shoulders, and began to manhandle him down the stairs. On his way out the door, Steve managed to avoid the crowds and snag a bottle of water in the hope of rehabbing Matt on the drive home.

 Steve, by some miricale, got Matt in the car and belted in. Steve had to convince Matt during the drive to drink the water and sleep off whatever he was on. This was so Jarrod’s doing!

Steve pulled up at the curb of the Williams household. Steve was going to take Matt to his place to sober up, but Steve didn’t know the first thing about drugs, and thought that Matt wouldn’t have a great reaction to waking up in his house. This was the best thing Steve could think of apart from leaving him back at the party in the tub and washing his hands of the situation. This was not going to go well.

Steve wrestled Matt from the car and managed to get up to the porch before he noticed Joe’s car in the drive. Once at the door Steve rapped his nuckles on the surface. Just as Matt started to become to heavy the door swung open.

“Mathew Williams if that is you I’m gonna…. Steve? What are you doing here. Oh my god, Matt. Eddie get out here!” Clara moved to the side and Steve awkwardly made his way through the door just as Eddie rounded the corner. Eddie automatically darted to Matt’s other side to aide Steve in getting him to a surface. As Matt was set down upon the sofa, it was at that time he chose to come back to reality.

“Ma!” He yelled. “Caaaannn we hve lasnga now….” Matt drifted back out.

“Steve, what the hell is he on?”

“I’m not sure Eddie, I found him like this at a party, I didn’t know where else to take him.”

“Thanks for bringing him home Steve, we’ve got him from here.” That was the voice of Joe White from the top of the stairs.

“Uh yeah, no problem, I’ll just get out of your hair.” The next moment Danny appeared beside Joe, and Steve, at that moment realised that it was 3:30am. It felt like the world hit Steve all at once.

Danny was on crutches, think bandages encasing his knee, wearing nothing more than his briefs. Steve watched Danny cast his eyes to the scene on the couch.

“Shit, not again….” Was all that Danny Williams spoke, drawing the attention of the rest of the room.

“What do you mean to AGAIN Daniel Williams?”

Steve knew that voice meant that things were about to blow up. Steve wanted to hightail it but he felt himself glued to the ground.

 Joe decended down the stairs.

“Steve I think we need to give these folks a chance to talk.” Joe placed his hand on Steve’s shoulder and guided him from the house without saying a word. As the door, closed voices erupted. Steve was hoping that the girls weren’t home…

Also, why was Danny on crutches?


	19. ACL, pfft who needs it?

Danny was wheeled away to get all the scans done before being left in the silence of a hospital room. Danny had spent to much time in hospital rooms this year. Danny sighed as he dropped his head back onto the pillow.

His knee throbbed beyond the hold of the painkillers, so Danny knew that this was bad. His Dad still was at his side, though his mum had taken the girls to her sisters for the night as they dealt with this whole situation, they didn’t need to see this. Danny wasn’t sure if it was the drugs or what, but Danny had this horrible feeling laying dormant in his stomach waiting to burst at the bad news that was inevitable.  Danny had put the performance of his life on for the selectors and now he was probably surgery bound. Danny didn’t know what he was going to do without the baseball scholarship to college…

Danny had somehow drifted toward unconsciousness when his doctor entered the room, folder pinned under his arm, rising Danny back to reality.

“Daniel, Detective Williams, we have the results from the MRI and it’s not the worst news. You had an obvious dislocation of your kneecap on arrival, which was relocated. Upon further investigation, we have found that you have ruptured your ACL.” Danny dropped his head back onto the pillow and felt his dad grab his hand. “Now Daniel, this isn’t horrible. A surgeon will be by to discuss the surgery, but in most cases, patients are back to the sport in twelve to eighteen months, given that you follow all of our advice.”

The doctor paused expecting Danny to have questions, but he said nothing. He closed his eyes hoping to demolish his current reality.

Danny heard his dad thank the doctor leading the doctor from the room. Danny’s resolve shattered. Tears spilled down his cheeks.

He knew professionals often returned to their sport after ACL injuries, but he needed to be at his peak to get into College. He was absolutely boned now.

Eddie walked back into the room to see his son in such a state. He walked to Danny’s side, dropped the side rail of the bed and eased Danny into an embrace.

Eddie didn’t try to offer words of advice he knew Danny had to get this out of his system. Danny gripped his father’s shirt like a small child and continued to let all his tears fall. Then he just stopped, took a deep breath and tried to put it behind him and focus on the future. Eddie and Danny didn’t speak till the surgeon finally called in.

Danny’s surgeon ran through the surgery and booked in another consult before the surgery date. Next through the door was a physio to set Danny up with some pre-surgery exercises, and then spoke about the post-surgery situation. Soon Eddie had folders full of information and had signed the release documents. Danny’s knee was braced, and he wielded a set of crutches. Finally, he could go home. 

When Danny and Eddie reached the car, Eddie pulled the brakes on the wheelchair at a point that was too far for Danny to reach the car on his own. Danny looked around to his father confused.

“Danny, before we go home you need to know that we are here for you. You are going to feel shitty for a bit, but we can’t have a repeat from a few months ago. We have arranged for you to talk to a shrink. Before you say that you don’t need it, this is bigger than yourself. I know you were leaning on Baseball since Steve and now that’s gone, it’s not going to hurt to talk to someone who isn’t apart of your everyday life. Oh, and Joe is going to call in tonight. No complaining.”

Danny huffed out a breath but said nothing. Maybe talking to someone would be good for him. Danny felt the wheelchair move, next minute they were in the car heading toward home, not another word was spoken.

They pulled up the drive and Eddie let Danny out of the car before parking in the garage. Danny managed to make his way inside before his Dad could close the garage. As he made it through the door, he was cornered by his mother.

“My poor baby!” Danny was lucky that he had good balance despite the drugs currently coursing through his veins.

“Ma I’m fine, I’ll...”

Luckily Danny was saved by the doorbell, while his mother was distracted Danny made an escape for the stairs. As he went to attempt the first step, a hand pulled the crutch from the step.

“I don’t think so Son, don’t think you could run away did ya?”

“Oh, hey Joe didn’t hear ya at the door, I was just going to visit the bathroom.”

“Well isn’t it lucky there is one right here. Go on then.”

Well shit, Danny thought to himself. Danny just really wanted to be alone now.

“You know what, I don’t really need to go any more.” Joe let out a smothered laugh.

Danny carried himself to the couch and dropped himself upon the cushions. He swung his leg up and layered cushions beneath it to elevate it.

“So where is Matty?” Danny asked as his parents walked into the room attempting to avoid the scrutiny. His mum gave him a questioning gaze.

“He said he was going to go see you in hospital, did he not come home with you, Eddie?”

“We never saw him at the hospital, he might’ve missed us, I’ll give him a call.” Eddie pulled his phone from his pocket, dialled Matt’s number and got no answer.

“Are you sure he said he was going to come to the hospital, Clara? Danny have you heard from him?”

Danny shook his head.

“My phone was in my baseball bag I haven’t looked at it yet.” Clara grabbed Danny’s bag from the kitchen table where it was dropped. She brought it to Danny where he dug through it for his phone.

When Danny turned his phone, he had forty plus messages but nothing from Matt.

“Nothing here Ma. He might’ve snuck out to the celebration, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”  
“He is so grounded when I see him.” Oh, no.

Danny could see the steam about to billow from his Mother’s ears.

“Uh, Son how about we try those stairs for real this time and take this conversation to your room.

Danny nodded at Joe and levered himself from the couch. As Danny slowly ascended the stairs he could hear his Dad attempting to reason with his Mother, Matt was so doomed if he didn’t have a good reason. Clara was going to eat him alive if he came home drunk.

Once Danny finally made it up the stairs he guided Joe to his room.

Danny’s room was still rather bare after his breakdown before the Summer holidays. His bookcase was missing his trophies and his photos were still awaiting new frames, there were also now no posters on the wall.

Danny stripped his shorts off with the attempt of changing into sweats. When he realized that wasn’t going to happen he gave up and landed himself on the bed. Danny once again piled up pillows to cushion his injured knee.

“Danny, how are you feeling son? Don’t give me any of that ‘I’m fine’ bull crap, I’m here for you and if you are just going to dodge me I’ll walk out that door.” Danny rolled his eyes at the statement as it was such a Joe White thing to say.

“Uhm, well… I feel kind of lost I guess. I know this isn’t going to stay with me for the long term, but it has messed things up a bit. I was really relying on a baseball scholarship, but there is no way I’m going to get that now. I don’t know what I’m going to do after this year. I finish school soon and then what?”

The painkillers have loosened his lips, Danny was never this open.

“There are plenty of pathways out there Danny...” Danny scoffed.

“I don’t need the ‘there are many ways to your dream’ speech Joe. I have no idea what that dream is apart from baseball.”

The silence hung between them. Danny had said that with more attitude than he had meant to, Danny tried to convey his apology through his facial expression. Joe was obviously used to it because he simply brushed it off.

“There is so much out there Danny, look at your Dad. He found a way and he was run in neck deep with the wrong crowds and he has a career and a family, just remember you can do anything.” They both burst into a fit of laughter at that last part.

“Joe that was so cheesy,” Danny pointed out.

“It so was, wasn’t it?”

Silence fell between them.

Danny then looked down at his feet and realized that his injured side was tinged a bit blue despite it being Summer and quite warm in the room.

“Hey, Joe, would you mind grabbing me some socks from the draw over there, the hospital claimed my other ones.”

Joe pulled a pair from the draw before Danny could process his mistake.

“Danny what the hell is this,” Joe questioned as a baggie of pills dropped from a sock as well as a few blunts.

Danny was trying to think of a way not to incriminate anyone.

“That isn’t mine.”

Wow real imaginative Williams, Danny thought to himself.

“Danny do not lie to me, I’m here to help you. Are these pills yours?”

“Okay, so the weed might be, but I can promise you, those pills are not mine.”

“Whose pills are they then Danny? I’m pretty sure this is MDMA.”

“I can’t say, but I can tell you the person isn’t using anymore, I promise. I just forgot to get rid of them.” Danny knew that he still hadn’t dug himself out of the hole, he was now occupying.

“Danny please know that I can help you or whoever these are, no need to get your dad involved at this point.”

Joe and Danny managed to change the subject and continued to chat for the next hour, though the room was still full of tension. Danny had managed to keep the topic of Steve out of their conversation until they heard a car pull up in the drive. Danny saw Joe peak out the window with a confused look on his face.

“I’ll be back in a second Danny.”

With that Joe left the room, shutting the door behind him. Danny managed to extricate himself from the bed realizing that he was due another painkiller. He hobbled to the window to see a car that he couldn’t quite place in the drive.

Danny grabbed his crutches and moved to the door.

When Danny heard his Ma call for his Father he sped up his struggle with the door to try and find out what was going on downstairs.

When Danny finally managed to get himself to the banister of the upstairs landing the scene he observed froze him on the spot.

“Shit, not again….”

Danny didn’t even realize he was the one to utter that sentence until everyone in the room turned toward him, including Joe who was stood beside him.

“What do you mean to AGAIN Daniel Williams?”

Oh fuck, Danny thought to himself.

Joe excused himself and Steve, and the tension grew. Danny did notice that as Joe passed his father on the way out that he slipped something into his father’s hand.

Well, shit, now they were both truly dead.  Here it comes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I currently am struggling for ideas. I diverged from my original story and now I'm struggling to think of where to go next...  
> I would really appreciate some comments with ideas.  
> If you don't feel comfortable to comment I have an email specifically for this account, feel free to drop me an email.  
> 13101ninenine@gmail.com  
> I would be eternally grateful for any ideas.  
> Also, I apologize for the decline in quality, I'm sure you can tell that I've hit a bit of a block, I feel like I am literally throwing shit at a wall...


	20. ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't much but you guys deserve something whilst I try to figure myself out. Please enjoy.

Three weeks, that is how long it took for Clara to look at either of her sons in the eye. Twenty-one days, of disappointed glances and silence. Danny knew that it was only because he was going into surgery that she was even in the same room as him.

Danny agreed that they had indeed fucked up, but they had good intentions. It was not enough.

Danny lay there in an itchy, ill-fitting hospital gown, with the drugs over taking his consciousness. Clara kissed her son’s cheek as the orderlies filed into the room to wheel him away.

In the haze that was filling his brain, Danny began to evaluate his life, as you do… How had he got here?

Three weeks ago, the last of the narrow edge that was holding him up had crumbled away and dropped him to the copperheads. He’d spent his time in limbo trying to climb his way up the sheer cliff face, to earn his parents trust once again, but he was just tearing off his fingernails trying to grab ahold of crevices. It seemed like everything had finally shattered with his ACL.

_“Mathew Williams upstairs, right this second,” Clara declared. Mathew seemed to sober as Clara’s pure mother tone came out to play._

_Matt peeled himself off the couch and stumbled up the stairs and into his room. As the door clicked shut Danny turned back toward his room._

_“Daniel Williams, where do you think you are going?”_

_Danny turned back._

_“Just going to grab some pants Ma.”_

_“Get your arse down here this second and tell us what the hell you two have been hiding.”_

_Danny slowly descended the stairs, nearly tripping every other step.  Once he had made it to the bottom of the stairs Danny realised that his parents had moved to the dining table sporting deadly serious expressions. He was so boned._

_“How long?”_

_“Since Steve. I swear I didn’t know anything before then.”_

_“Danny, drugs aren’t the answer to any problems, I thought we had raised you better than that.” Danny cut them off._

_“I’m not the one on drugs, how the fuck did you reach that conclusion!”_

_“Daniel Williams don’t talk to your mother like that! First warning, just talk to us. Please?”_

_“You are supposed to be a Detective, your other son is practically carried into the house whilst orbiting the earth, and you think I’m the one with a damn drug problem? Open your eyes.” Danny slammed his hand on the table top._

_Eddie shoved his seat away from the table with a crash. “Second warning Daniel.”_

_“Till what? What are you gonna do, send me to my room?”_

_“That’s it Daniel, get out of our sight, go to your room. You have disappointed us and shamed this family.”_

_“Big words Pa, but you are giving this speech to the wrong son. You didn’t see what was going on with your son when he needed your help, and now you are doing the same thing again! I picked him up and got him clean when you were too concerned with your adopted son. He went after Steve with a gang, what part of that screams mentally stable to you?”_

_Clara sobbed._

_“Danny, go to your room.”_

_Danny turned his back to his parents._

A tear trickled down Danny’s cheek.

“There is nothing to be scared of.”

Danny looked back to the orderly.

“What?”

“Surgery is scary, but you are in good hands, just breathe.”

“Oh, ugh yeah, right.”

 


	21. I'll be your shadow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song used within is Jealous by Labrinth, and in no way belongs to me. Please enjoy.

Steve hadn’t seen Danny for what felt like weeks. When Steve thought back to it  the last Steve had seen of Danny was the night Steve had brought Matt home high as a kite. Steve got fairly caught up with the questioning that Joe was giving him, that he forgot all about Danny, his knee, and his deathly angry parents.

The next day when Steve met with Joe to begin preparing for enlistment, Joe diverted many of that day's conversations to ask Steve about his history with drugs through such account didn’t exist Joe stuck by his lecture, no matter Steve’s comments.

 Steve had thought about it. No matter what he had gone through he never thought of drugs and alcohol as a solution. Those options never even landed on his radar. He knew what addiction did to people. He had seen first hand what it was like when people became reliant on what was not the healthiest of options. In a way, Steve had done that to Danny. Steve found a lifeline and gripped it tight no matter what it did to him. Steve could sympathise, he could also understand wanting something so badly, even while knowing that it may not be suitable for him. Danny was his drug.

Steve shoved his realisation to the back of his mind and steered the conversation back in the correct direction. Joe was handing him paperwork, and showing him things he needed to know. That was the right thing about Joe, he never dissuaded Steve from his decisions, no matter what he thought of the issue. Joe, himself was an ex-serviceman, he knew where this path would lead him. Even the friends Steve had made at the rehab centre never said anything against his decision. This was another first for Steve.

Many of those who had tried to take him in had a mold that Steve was to try and fit into. When Steve did not match their expectations, they palmed him off. Steve didn’t blame any of those families, during that time Steve was downright angry, and a hothead. There wasn’t a lot they could do or say that wouldn’t earn them a tantrum. Steve knew how he had acted was not going to win him any respect, Rick had set him straight, though that was not the ideal way of events unfolding. Steve needed a kick in the ass, he could accept that, but daily beatings was a bit much of a reset.

Steve did not have a lot of positive voices in his life after Doris had died. Steve felt like he had found his place among these men and women; they were the kind of person that he wanted to be. He had so ground much to make up.

Steve and Joe had dinner, the was on his way. Joe said that he would get all the necessary paperwork dealt with as needed. When Steve got home, he found himself sitting on his bed with his guitar in hand.

_I’m jealous of the rain_

_That falls upon your skin_

_It’s closer than my hands have ever been_

_I’m jealous of the rain_

_I’m jealous of the wind_

_That ripples through your clothes_

_It’s closer than your shadow_

_Oh, I'm jealous of the rain_

_‘Cause I wish you the best_

_All this world could give_

_And I told you when [I] left you_

_There’s nothing to forgive_

_But I always thought that you would come back, tell me all you found_

_were heartbreak and misery_

_It’s hard for me to say, I’m jealous of the way_

_You’re happy without me_

 Steve strummed the last cord after singing the last word. This was one thing that he regretted most. He had hurt Danny, and now he wanted the blonde to come running back now that he had his shit together.

The other night Steve had watched Danny’s world crumble, and he hadn’t fought to be there like Danny had for him. A tear ran a lonely path down his cheek.

Steve shouldn’t be allowed to care this way about Danny. He honestly had used and abused Danny’s kindness then left him broken-hearted.

 

 

When school came back, it was the first time since the night with Matt that he had seen a member of the Williams family. Danny walked with a cane through the front gate of the schoolyard. Steve wanted to run up and take the backpack from the boy and make him smile, but he didn’t have that right.

Danny looked like a dog that had been cornered like he would bite if anyone took a step closer then logically necessary. Steve saw himself in Danny, though their situations were vastly different, Steve knew that Danny desperately desired anyone to be at his side, but put up a front scaring everyone away. This was Steve’s chance to be there as Danny had been for him. He knew that he could not redeem himself from his deeds, but he could at least rile Danny up enough to care. He could take a hit if needed.

Steve let the first few periods pass. Though he shared no classes with Danny, he knew that he could at least see him at breaks and lunch.

When the bell rang indicating the start of lunch, Steve took off toward the locker bay that housed Danny’s locker, hoping to intercept him and stick at his side. Steve would not let him be alone, no matter what he said.

Steve waited by the locker for half of the lunchtime, before he began to search for the blonde. Steve knew that he hadn’t missed Danny, as Danny’s English literature class was on the other side of campus and Steve had all but sprinted here, and Danny was currently relying on a cane to walk. Steve checked the library, bathrooms, classrooms before he happened upon the stoner groupies behind the maintenance shed. Danny?

A blonde haired boy, sporting a cane, captured his eye.  There he was, sitting upon a table cane balanced, on one hand, a joint in the other.

“Danny?”

Danny’s head did not turn in his direction.

“Danny, what the fuck are you doing?”

Danny still did not turn his attention toward Steve.

“I thought this was obvious Steven, or is it another queue you have managed to misinterpret?”

That hurt, but Steve knew that this wasn’t Danny speaking to him, this was the anguish and pain.

Steve took a seat beside Danny, though he could see that he was not welcomed by others, while the rest of the group were to stoned to notice.

Steve held his hand up as if he was asking for the joint. Danny looked at him confused.

“If this is what you want Danny, I’m here for you, but not here.”

Steve could see anger flare in Danny’s bloodshot eyes.

“Who are you to decide what I need? Who the fuck do you think you are?” Danny stood, throwing the joint at Steve, disturbing the peace of the stoners. Danny began to walk toward the main section of the schoolyard Steve trailing closely behind him.

Well, that went better then Steve expected.

Danny snapped back around.

“I know what you are doing McGarrett. You don’t get to save me. I am not a bird with a broken wing; I need to be away from this, from you. Don’t think that you are filling some debt by following me around.”

Steve didn’t respond, just stuck close by Danny as he continued to attempt to walk away. Danny huffed and jerked at the attention, but Steve wasn’t leaving till he had no other choice.

 

 


	22. Passion will light up the darkness

Danny had been in purgatory. It was radio silence on the family front, and he had no one else outside the house anymore. Danny spoke once or twice to the boys from baseball, but Danny didn’t want to associate with something he couldn’t have anymore.

The day the rehab specialist had handed him a walking cane he felt utter humiliation. He walked into the house, and he heard his brother laugh at him, and utter a phrase that fell below Danny’s hearing. Tension had been growing between himself and Matt once more. Since the unspeakable night Matt had never owned up to not being influenced by his brother, he had also never mentioned where he was getting the gear from. Danny may have partaken in the very rare joint at a party, but he had never been what his parents accused him of.

His parents had all but named Danny as a drug pedalling, junkie, who was a downright terrible influence on his siblings. Danny was no longer allowed to drive his little sisters to school, as he could not be trusted. On multiple occasions, Danny had begged his father to issue a drug test on him, but his father claimed that it was a ploy. He didn’t want his family to be this anymore.

It was his sisters that he truly felt sorry for. The girls had come home from the sleepover that weekend to find their brothers grounded and off limits, and his parents tense and at one another’s throats. Danny could see that this was hurting them more than anyone else, but there wasn’t anything he could do until his parent's vision cleared, and they saw the clear picture.

As school approached, Danny was preparing for his final year, trying to see what he should aim himself toward. What was his goal now? He dropped his AP subjects back to standards and was crossing his fingers that he got scores that were enough to get him somewhere. He missed his father’s voice of reason in moments like this.  Eddie would slap him up the head and tell him that he could do anything that he put his mind to as long as his heart was in it with his brain.

 He had let this happen and now he had to fix it.

Danny marched down the stairs, to find his mother and father sitting at the kitchen table, with who looked like Steve’s case manager.

“Ma, Pa? What’s going on?”

Clara turned around to Danny.

Danny approached the table some more and saw a whole lot of leaflets laid out on the surface of the table.

**Drug Rehabilitation for Teens: The path back to your future.**

“What the hell, I am not going to one of these, I told you I’m not addicted to drugs!” Danny’s anger was beginning to override him.

“Danny it’s not for you…”

Danny spun around, too quickly for his knee. As his leg began to give out, hands grabbed at him supporting his weight. The hands guided him to a seat, and he finally got his feet under him again.

“Matt, what are you doing?”

“Big brother, you know I have a problem, and it has ruined so much lately, I need real help. You tried to protect me, but I was already to far gone at that point to be saveable.” Danny opened his mouth to argue but was quickly cut off.

“Danny you have suffered because of me, and this is what needs to happen.”

Danny looked back at his parents.

“You aren’t just going to let him go, are you? All he needs is his family, but you just don’t want to be there for him!”

Danny knew his anger was unfounded and ridiculous, but all these emotions had been pent up inside him for weeks, and they were all seeping out through the gaps.

“Danny, don’t make this about you!” His mother snapped.

“About me? How is this about me! Heavens forbid that you listen to me! You are tearing this family apart because you couldn’t see the truth, and now your own son feels like you can’t even help him. He needed you, and you weren’t there, I was. You have no right to allow this.”

“Daniel Williams! We are the parents in this household and we won’t let you speak to us that way. I am dissapo…”

“Dad stop please, he is just surprised and hurt. Danny, I decided this, and it is what I need. I know how much I will miss you but, I am not the younger brother you love, I need help. Every second I think about how and where I can get my next fix.  Please listen to me. I want this, and they tried to talk me out of this.”

Danny dropped his chin to a chest, his bottom lip feeling as if it was about to quiver.

“I’m sorry” Danny whispered.

He stood from the table, embraced Matt and continued his journey back upstairs to his room.

Danny dropped into his seat by his desk. He didn’t want this to happen to other families. Danny grabbed a notebook and pen from his desk and began to write a list of all the druggies that he knew of. He was going to find the source and cut the head off of the snake that had poisoned his kid brother.

 

The day school had started back, Matty had left for rehab. It broke Danny, but he knew it was for a good reason this time.

Before Matt had left, Danny had asked who his source was, but Matty remained quiet and refused to give up such information. Danny knew his brother, he was a tough nut to crack and he didn’t have the time to break through those walls. Danny would rather spend his last hours on good terms with his brother, rather than interrogating him as his father had.

They had spent the day in Danny’s room watching movies and talking like they once had as younger boys. Lucy and Sarah soon joined them.

Sarah and Lucy didn’t know a lot of why Matt was going away, they just knew that he was going on a camp.

Danny had missed this, family. This is what it was about. Support and love, but his parents were still being blind, they should’ve been here for this moment, but they were to busy off doing whatever they were doing.

Letting Matt walk out the door the next morning was hard, but he had to let it happen.

Danny was gonna get the guy that corrupted his little brother, no matter what. If you hurt his family, he will find you.

Danny’s dad was a cop and he had watched enough crime dramas, that he knew what to do.

Danny had found his passion

 

 

 


	23. Knock, *thwap*

Danny couldn’t shake Steve. Steve had to think he was helping but Danny was on a mission and he really wasn’t helping a single bit. Danny had earnt the trust of the stoners, and they were beginning to talk when Steve walked up and they all clammed up in the presence of the jock who was nearly three times the size he used to be.

Wait. Holy shit, Steve had filled out! Ignore it, Danny, you are not going there.

 Danny shrugged off the hand and continued to walk. Danny knew the bell would be going soon and Steve would have to leave to go to class.

Just as predicted his shadow took off and Danny was free to stalk away on his own.

After his last couple of classes, Danny had come to terms with the fact that Steve had become his shadow, and he was not going to be able to shake him without talking to him. Fuck. The two of them hadn’t really spoken since Steve had left him that sorry excuse of a breakup letter.

The final bell sounded and Danny packed the last of his homework into his backpack and started toward his car. Time to go back to the place that no longer felt like home. He then remembered that Matt wasn’t going to be there and he wanted to sob. Danny took a shaky breath, looking around to make sure nobody saw his lip tremble. Nobody, except for a few stragglers were around since Danny had taken so long. Even his shadow hadn’t appeared. Danny continued on his path until the carpark came into sight, and he halted in his path.

Danny quickly figured that he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

Steve had used his car to barricade Danny into the carpark and was sitting on the bonnet of Danny’s car.

“Steve I gotta get home, curfew and all.”

“Curfew? It’s not even four thirty yet? Surely you can spare a few minutes to talk.”

“Talk? Now you want to talk. I didn’t know you knew how to do that, I thought letters were more your style.” When Danny saw Steve’s smile falter, he knew he had struck a nerve. “Sorry, today is not a good day.”

Steve shrugged. “Danny, I know I don’t have any right to care, but I am here for you, please don’t think you're alone.”

“Yeah, like you know how I feel, at all.” Danny internally facepalmed. “Sorry.”

Again Steve shrugged.

“I get it, Danny, you have every right to be angry at me. For what it is worth I am sorry for how things ended, but I was not in a good place, and I could see that it wasn’t good for you or your family. But, I am here now, I have my shit together enough to at least be someone you can talk to. Like, if you want, or whatever.”

Danny nodded.

“But even if you don’t want to talk, I’m not going to let you fall into drugs.”

At that moment a random art teacher strolled by giving them an odd look.

“Steve I’m not falling into drugs, I promise that that is not what I’m doing. I can’t talk about it right now, not here.” Danny looked down at his watch. “Shit! Steve, I gotta go, but I promise that I am not turning to drugs for anything.”

“I’ll meet you at yours and we can talk?” Steve asked Danny.

“Uh, probably not, Ma is not your biggest fan, plus things are still pretty rough at home. I’ll meet you here before school at eight thirty, that should give me enough time to explain.”

“Yeah, okay. Matty is probably waiting around her somewhere anyways.” Steve paused when he saw Danny freeze. “Uh, well, I’ll get out of your way.”

Steve jumped from his seated position and got into his car. As he disappeared around the corner Danny let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in. The urge to cry reappeared.

He climbed into his car and pointed it toward home. He had 10 minutes to make it home, otherwis,e he was bound for interrogation once again.

Danny made it home and in the door with a single minute to spare.

“Danny, can you give me a hand in the kitchen?” It was his mum. Had she just spoken to him?

Danny stood in shock. This was the first pleasant interaction they had in the past few weeks.

“Sure Ma just give me a sec.”

Danny dropped his backpack by the stairs and quickly made his way toward the kitchen.

“What do you nee-“ Danny’s question died in his throat.

“Ma who is this?”

“Danny this is Sergeant Marshall, I invited her to come and talk to you about swapping over to the military school. She thinks that it’d be good for you.”

Danny felt anger boiling in the pit of his stomach.

Danny just turned his back, grabbed his back pack and walked right back out the door. He got in his car, and started of down the road, ignoring Clara’s calls for him. Danny turned the corner, throwing his phone out the window. He couldn’t deal with this right now.

Danny pulled up in front of the gym, climbed out of his car, and slammed the door shut.

He walked in and searched the floor for Joe.

There he was leaning against a pole, eyes cast down at his phone.

“Did you know?” Joe looked up at the approaching team.

“Hi Danny, how are you?” Danny shrugged of the greeting.

“Did you know that they were going to try and ship me off to the military?”

Joe shoved his phone into his pocket.

“Danny, what are you talking about?”

“Gee,z Joe do I have to spell it out for you? I rocked up at home and some recruiter was standing in the kitchen. Ma thinks that it’s be good for me. First, she sends Matty to rehab now me to another state. Surely you knew about this.”

Joe reached out to put his hand on Danny’s shoulder, but Danny shrugged that off as well.

“Son, I promise that I had no idea about any of this. I’ll talk to your folks and we will straighten this all out. Maybe you misunderstood the situation.”

“Joe, what is there to misunderstand? We were to difficult to deal with, so they are sending us away. Did you know that she won’t even let me drive the girls to school anymore because I am a ‘bad influence’. What does that even mean?” Danny took a deep shaky breath.

“How about I take you home, and we will have that chat with your folks. Communication is key to figuring this out.”

“I am not going back there Joe, I can’t face them. I have been hurting so much, and they think I’m some drug head, that corrupted their innocent son, and they won’t listen to me. I know I’m just a kid, but I know what I have and haven’t done. So no, I am not going back to have a chat with them.”

“Well, what’s the plan, where are you going then?”

Danny thought about it for a second.

“I don’t know Joe, I have my car, so I’ll figure it out. It’s not going to be forever, just long enough for everyone to see reason.”

“Danny I can’t let you stay in your car. Here take this.” Joe pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket. “Here this should cover a hotel for the night. I’ll go talk to your folks and we will sort this out. I’ll message you after I talk to them.”

“Firstly, Joe I can’t take your money. Secondly, I kind of through my phone away. I knew dad would just track it, and I don’t want to see them.”

Joe, let out a breath, and scratched his beard. “Well, I guess that is one way to do it. I can’t make you do anything, but I will meet you after school here, and we will talk about this some more.”

Joe pulled Danny in for an uncomfortable hug, and Joe sent him towards the door.

Danny didn’t know where he was going to go. He walked to his car and sat in the driver’s seat.

Danny felt his pocket for his keys, but found a wad of cash first. Joe! Damn that man was to good to him, but he couldn’t use his money. Danny couldn’t pay him back.

Danny, turned the key in the ignition once he located them in his pockets. Where to go?

He had no idea, he just pulled out of the carpark and turned onto the road. He just drove, taking random turns, until he ended up somewhere that felt goodish to him.

Danny pulled up to the curb, taking notice of the car that was parked in front of him.

Danny stepped out from his car and walked up toward the front door. For a second he hesitated, but just as he was about to knock his fist against the door, it swung open and he hit the resident in the chest.

“Uh sorry, I was about to knock.” Danny raised his eyes to meet with the person he had just assaulted.

“Danny? What are you doing here?”

“I had nowhere else to go, I need a place to crash.”

“Of course, come in, uh. I was about to go for a run, but please do come in.”

Danny entered the house looking around at the neatness of the room.

Danny dropped onto the couch.

“Danny, what is going on? I  thought you said you had a curfew?”

  
“Steve, I can’t go home, not tonight at least.” Danny took a breath looking down at his hands that were furiously fidgeting among themselves. “They are trying to send me away. They have already sent Matty away, and now me. I can’t be there, I am going out of my mind.”

Steve placed his hands on top of Danny’s to halt his fidgeting and draw his attention back to him.

“Don’t worry Danno, I got you. I’ll take the couch and you can have the bed.”

Danny almost smiled, “Don’t call me that.” Steve huffed out a chuckle.

“Well, I apologise Daniel. I’ll go put on some tea, and we’ll talk all about what is going on.” Danny nodded.

“Wait, since when do you drink tea?”

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment any and all criticism is welcome. Your opinion is valued as it's the only way I will know that I need to change things and how to improve. Everything you say will be taken on board in the hope to make this story flourish.  
> Your comments also warm me as I begin to put faces to my readers and know that you are more than numbers.  
> Thank you so much for your support, and I hope to see you all at the end of this work.  
> Please check out my other work, though incomplete, I am working on them.  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/3150839  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/2405348  
> Mahalo


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